Girl on the Third Floor stars wrestler CM Punk as Don Koch, a man with a troubled past, having done time in jail before and looking to build a good life for his pregnant wife Liz, played by Trieste Kelly Dunn. He buys a new house and renovates it himself without any help, occasionally being greeted by various neighbors. However, he soon discovers the house has a disturbing past of its own, and begins to encounter the supernatural presences looming over the place.
If there’s one film that best exemplifies “DIY” this year, this is the film. It stars Punk in his first acting role among other actors without many credits to their name, while also serving as the directorial debut of director Travis Stevens. It’s unknown what the film’s actual budget was, but it couldn’t have been much, given the way in which it pulled off many of its effects.
For a horror film, this film has an impressively minimal amount of CGI, if it even had any at all. Many of its big scare moments are pulled off through practical effects. Fake blood is seen splattering out of sinks, random objects are remotely moved around to look as if they’re moving on their own, while people and objects are carefully placed to look as if they’re hidden inside the wall, among many other things. At times, some of the visuals do provide several moments of well-timed dark humor that added a nice touch. This film does a great job recreating the aesthetic of a low-budget 70’s or 80’s horror movie, all while still feeling like a 2019 movie.
And even the way it builds up suspense is also very commendable. The film is an old-school haunted house movie, with hints of classics such as The Shining thrown in there. The film doesn’t go so much for jump scares as it does slow-burning suspense that do a great job building tension, especially scenes in which Don encounters his creepy yet seductive neighbor Sarah, played by Sarah Brooks, throwing in a bit of a Fatal Attraction feel at times. These moments are supported by an overall great soundtrack that never dominates a scene or feels too “in your face.”
While the effects and scares work, the film ultimately suffers a bit with its story. It’s not a film that necessarily answers many of the questions that it brings up. It feels just like a random haunted house where some bad things happened, but that’s about it. There’s really no rhyme or reason behind much of what goes on, or why the house evokes the specific imagery it does evoke. And while it’s nice to go for this sense of mystery, it never fully adds up to a compelling story, especially when the film dives into its third act and even more random things and people are seen.
Also the only three major players consistently seen are Don, Liz, and Sarah, and any time the film includes characters who aren’t those three tend to be some of the weaker moments. There’s a next door neighbor who plays the biggest supporting part, who shows up occasionally to give lazy exposition for a few minutes before disappearing for good portions at a time, leading to a revelation that she had some really odd motivations that just don’t feel like they totally worked. Likewise, halfway through the film, a friend of Don’s is randomly introduced and he’s given some hefty chunks of dialogue, meant to be portrayed as some sort of moral compass for Don, and it’s hard to really form a connection with him, because his sudden appearance comes across as very jarring.
Though the three main cast members do work well with what they’re given. Trieste Kelly Dunn is by far the best of the three. She spends the majority of the film being seen through FaceTime with Don, which in weaker hands would make her feel like one of the laziest-written characters in the film. Though she winds up being seen consistently enough and her performance is charismatic enough that she winds up being likable. Sarah Brooks does an overall solid job as the seductive neighbor, never really overdoing it or coming off as hammy, while Punk is clearly giving it his all for his first time on the big screen. His delivery is sometimes a bit hit-and-miss, which is mainly a screenplay issue, as he’s forced into talking out loud to himself fairly often, which comes off as a bit contrived, but he does have some solid moments of legitimate emotion that work well.
Girl on the Third Floor is a flawed film, mainly due to some notable screenplay issues, mainly in its third act, as well as some hokey moments of dialogue that may be too much for some. But considering it’s both the director and some of the cast’s first major film, it’s enjoyable for what it is. What it lacks in story, it makes up for with solid performances, good tension-building, and some really standout practical effects that give off the feel of a fun, old-school low-budget haunted house flick. It may not be one of the best horror films this year, but it’s respectable enough to check out at least once.
Recommendation: Proceed With Caution
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