Watch Funeral Home

Funeral Home is a 1980 horror film directed by William Fruet and starring Kay Hawtrey, Lesleh Donaldson, and Barry Morse. The movie tells the story of Heather, a young woman who returns to her childhood home, a quiet coastal town, to help her grandmother run a dilapidated funeral home that has been struggling to stay afloat. However, after arriving, Heather begins to experience strange occurrences, and she soon discovers that there is something sinister going on at the funeral home.

The movie begins with Heather and her grandmother, Maude, driving down a dark and deserted road in a hearse. Although the atmosphere is eerie, Heather is eager to see her grandmother and help her with the funeral home. However, she quickly realizes that her grandmother has become increasingly senile and is struggling to keep the business afloat. The funeral home is old and rundown, and there are few clients attending the funerals. Anyone who visits the funeral home seems uneasy and frightened, including a young woman, Cheryl, who comes to view her father's body.

As Heather settles into her new surroundings, she begins to experience strange occurrences. She sees a man lurking near the funeral home and hears footsteps at night. Maude insists that she has seen nothing unusual, but Heather is convinced that something is not right. Meanwhile, strange accidents begin to happen at the funeral home. A casket falls over during a funeral, and a corpse disappears from a room. Heather starts to believe that the funeral home is haunted, and she seeks the help of a young man, Paul, who works at the local gas station.

Paul and Heather begin to investigate the funeral home and discover a hidden room filled with old photographs and an old diary belonging to Maude's husband, who was a mortician. The diary reveals that Maude's husband committed some terrible acts while working at the funeral home before he disappeared, and this knowledge terrifies Heather. The diary also propels the plot forward as Heather and Paul begin to unravel a dark secret about the funeral home's past.

The acting in Funeral Home is subtle, and both Hawtrey and Donaldson give solid performances. Hawtrey particularly stands out as the elderly, senile grandmother who is slowly losing touch with reality. The film is well-paced, and the tension builds to a satisfying crescendo. The suspenseful atmosphere is heightened by an excellent musical score that is creepy and atmospheric.

One of the strengths of Funeral Home is the film's location. The coastal town where the movie is set is beautiful but also eerie, adding to the film's overall atmosphere. The funeral home itself is a terrifying setting, with dark hallways and creepy rooms. The movie also makes great use of lighting, with many scenes taking place in gloomy, dimly lit areas.

In terms of story, Funeral Home is an effective horror movie. Its slow-burn approach to the story allows the audience to get to know the characters and become invested in the plot. Although there is not an abundance of gore, the film still manages to be creepy and disturbing, with a sense of dread that permeates throughout. It is also refreshing to see a horror movie where the female protagonist is not a helpless victim but instead takes an active role in solving the mystery.

In conclusion, Funeral Home is an excellent horror movie that is often overlooked. It is a slow-burn, character-driven story that benefits from its atmosphere and terrific performances. Although it may not be as well-known as other horror movies from the 1980s, it certainly deserves more attention from horror fans.

Funeral Home is a 1980 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.1.