Paul is an independent filmmaker and writer, and Sarmistha Maiti is also an independent filmmaker, writer, and art critic. They frequently cooperate and have co-directed, co-written, and co-edited numerous projects over the last ten years. Their latest collaboration is the film “House of Time,” inspired by the physical and psychological hardship experienced by many in the recent years of the Covid-19 pandemic. House of Time” was produced by Aurora Films, which has been producing and distributing Indian films since 1906, and was selected at Busan International Film Festival 2021 among other festival nominations before its newest screening at the Across Asia Film Festival.
“House of Time“ is screening at Across Asia Film Festival
Amidst a contagious pandemic, an apathetic but adept doctor finds himself captive in a house inhabited by three women– a paranoid young woman, an amnesiac old woman and a lonely young girl, gradually realizing that he might be trapped not only in space but also in time. The film explores the texture of time with a blend of magic realism and existential horror to express the sense of dread and temporal stasis generated universally by the Covid19 Pandemic.
Overall, “House of Time” has quite a lot going for it. One of the strongest factors is the rather intriguing setup from co-writers/directors Maiti and Paul that ties together numerous topical details. The recent issues with the pandemic are employed front and center here with the household quarantined off, regularly being shown masking or taking hygienic precautions, and being filled with warnings about the dangers of going outside around others. These beats provide a necessary setup to showcase the plight of those stuck in their homes during the pandemic and forced to go through untold trials and tribulations to remain safe while also looking after loved ones. As time goes on and more stay at the house, the hints about their relationship with each other and the outside world gradually comes into focus which works quite well alongside the scattered attempts at being unnerving and terrifying.
As this ground-work is being suitably laid-out, “House of Time” takes the opportunity to weave a rather enjoyable air of genuine mystery and supernatural undertones throughout here. The repetition of the day that he keeps reliving, from being awoken while still bound and tied up, going through the greetings of the day and treating the grandmother does becomes quite chilling as they keep happening. Regardless of how he tries to break the chain, waking up in the same situation and forced to go through the same thing is a highly off-putting concept that's rife with psychological terror. When added together with the real-world implications of what's going on, the despair and depression that arises while in the midst of this situation offers a generally effective atmosphere that generates plenty to like about it.
There are some drawbacks to bring “House of Time” down. The biggest detriment here is the drama-heavy approach to the material that forces us to rely on the bizarre situation to generate its thrills. Too much of the first half here is built around how the doctor gets brought into the family dynamic and forced to treat the ill grandmother only to be confronted with the generally otherworldly relationship that takes place between the women. That this setup is supposed to be the main driving point of the scares comes off underwhelming instead. The idea of calling each other the same name and repeating scenes from before works well enough at first, but that only goes so far in building a genuinely unnerving atmosphere before it all comes off repetitive. That also comes about due to the obscene length present, regularly repeating scenes or topics so that it can build up a running time that's far too long for the type of content on display. Trimming some of that repetition down would've gone a long way to make what was already a really good film into a better one.
Topical and chilling if somewhat too repetitive for its own good, “House of Time” is enjoyable enough to be quite worthwhile, especially for fans of the dramatic side of the genre that it favors. Fans of this slow-burn style or who favor a drama-centered approach to the genre will appreciate the film the most.
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