Perhaps the titular house does not want to die, but sadly the same can't be said about my own personal interest and attention span, which didn't live to see the ending of the film. I'm usually a big fan of seventies' TV-movies because they're uniquely atmospheric and suspenseful in spite of their limited budgets, but "The House that would not Die" is derivative (or maybe I've seen too many?) and mostly dull. The lead characters are bland, the story itself is rather clichéd and predictable and the moments of genuine frights are scarce
Very scarce! The opening sequences are nevertheless promising, with ominous pan shots inside the house, ending with a view from behind the curtains as we see the new owners arrive in the driveway. Stylish elderly lady Ruth Bennett and her niece Sara move into the gloomy old Amish mansion and both of them almost immediately find new love interests. Ruth appreciates the charms of her new neighbor Pat, while Sarah meets college student Stan. For some reason I didn't quite understood, they all think it's a good idea to inaugurate their new home through a séance, after which – of course – a lot of strange and terrifying occurrences begin to happen. Both young Sara and neighbor Pat become possessed with restless spirits that previously lived in the house (dating all the way back to the Civil War) and several clues lead to something that is lurking behind the cellar door. "The House that would not Die" is overall very professionally accomplished, but sadly the subject material is just too unoriginal and forgettable. John Llewellyn Moxey directed some of the all-time greatest TV-thrillers (like "Where have all the people gone" and "Nightmare in Badham County), but even he struggles with the insufficient subject matter possibilities. Unless you're on a personal mission to track down all the legendary ABC Movie of the week features, I'd say skip this one.
Review of The House That Would Not Die
