Roses Have Thoughts

Girlhouse,” directed by Trevor Matthews, is a modern slasher that aims to tap into the zeitgeist of digital voyeurism and online sex work but ends up feeling disappointingly formulaic. It’s a film with an intriguing premise and a sleek, polished veneer, yet beneath its glossy surface lies a hollow, uninspired core. While it has moments of tension and a few well-executed kills, “Girlhouse” ultimately succumbs to the very clichés it seems eager to critique. With that in mind, it earns a middling score and leaves as a fleeting distraction than a film that leaves a lasting impact.

The plot centres around Kylie (Ali Cobrin), a college student in need of quick cash who joins an online platform called “Girlhouse,” where women live in a mansion under constant surveillance, streaming to a live audience of paying viewers. It’s an obvious commentary on the intersection of internet culture, sexual commodification, and voyeurism. But what begins as a seemingly clever setup devolves into a paint-by-numbers slasher when one of Girlhouse’s frequent users—known only as “Loverboy” takes things too far and launches a violent killing spree.

The opening moments promise more than the film eventually delivers. The idea of a slasher set in the world of cam girls is ripe with potential—both for social commentary and for tense, claustrophobic horror. Yet Matthews and screenwriter Nick Gordon seem uninterested in exploring the deeper ramifications of their premise. Instead, “Girlhouse” becomes a fairly standard stalker movie, relying on familiar tropes that have been done with more finesse elsewhere.

The characters are broadly drawn, especially the women in the house, who feel more like archetypes than fully developed individuals. Kylie, while sympathetic as the “final girl,” doesn’t offer much beyond the usual slasher heroine tropes, and the supporting cast—fellow housemates and their sleazy manager—are equally underwritten. While Ali Cobrin’s performance is competent, the script doesn’t give her much to work with beyond being the typical moral centre amidst a sea of exploitation.

Where “Girlhouse” does succeed is in its technical execution. The cinematography is sleek and crisp, giving the mansion a high-tech, voyeuristic sheen that amplifies the sense of being constantly watched. The kills, while predictable, are staged with competence, and Matthews shows a clear understanding of how to build tension. There’s a clinical precision to some of the death scenes that’s undeniably effective, though none reach the level of innovation or shock that would elevate the film into something memorable.

The real issue with “Girlhouse” is that it never quite figures out what it wants to say. It hints at being a critique of online objectification and the dangers of living under the digital gaze, but it never fully commits to exploring these themes in any meaningful way. Instead, it becomes yet another slasher with little substance behind its shocks. “Loverboy” is a menacing enough villain, but his motivations remain thin, turning what could have been a complex, chilling antagonist into a two-dimensional caricature.

Ultimately, “Girlhouse” is a film with a modern premise but an old-fashioned, underwhelming execution. It fails to carve out a unique identity in the crowded slasher landscape, offering little more than surface-level thrills and predictable beats. While it may entertain die-hard slasher fans looking for a few stylish kills, it’s unlikely to leave much of a lasting impression. For all its glossy tech sheen, “Girlhouse” remains trapped in the familiar trappings of a genre that’s already moved past what it has to offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVwu1qIQRgw

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