Richard Dane Scott
Warning: Spoilers
Maddie may have her personal demons, being nearly destitute and unable to remain in college because of such tough courses as microbiology. But this film demonstrates that she is nonetheless a survivor.
Her fortitude is put to the test with her so-called landlord Paul, the husband of Maddie’s Aunt Grace. Paul was diagnosed with “erotomania” after he became smitten with the model Kacee whom his wife Grace was using in her photography. The psychiatrist who made the diagnosis was later apparently murdered by Paul.
But the truth is much worse because it turns out that Paul is a necrophiliac, having murdered Kacee and placed her carcass under the boxspring of his queen bed. From time to time, he airs out the room out with lavender.
It is on that very same queen bed that Maddie couples with the neighbor Kevin with both parties unaware of what was under the mattress. It seemed bizarre that Kevin and Maddie were not content on the bed in her room. Like moths attracted to a light, they were driven to Paul’s bedroom and that portentous queen bed.
Early in the film, it becomes apparent to the viewer that we are in the genre of horror when Maddie takes a bath and blood comes pouring out of the spigot. Later, Maddie’s bestie Layla is taking a shower, and the inevitable is about to occur that is reminiscent of Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”
The crude dialogue of “Landlord from Hell,” as well as the preposterous situations, resulted in a film caught in limbo between dark comedy and full-blown horror. This was an uninspiring and lackluster film.