The foundation of the anthology is established by gothic cloth animation by Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels, who previously orchestrated the colonization mini-anthology short “This Magnificent Cake!” Their eye for towering sets, intricate detail and characters with tiny eyes and mouths continues here, with a slow-burn story about a family suffering from a Faustian landlord affair. Father Raymond (Matthew Goode) makes a deal with “an architect of great renown” whom he runs through the woods named Mr. Van Schoonbeek (Barney Pilling), who offers them a new mansion and furniture for free. The only catch, of which they are at least aware, is that they have to give up their current home. Raymond jumps at the chance as a means of status, of having the most beautiful house on the corner, and of making people jealous.
The family is quickly won over by the extravagant conveniences – the food that pops on the massive dining room table, the electricity that provides full lighting. But the young girl Mabel (Mia Goth) has more trepidation, as she begins to witness the stranger aspects of its construction, such as the zombified workers, who toil in the dark and suddenly take down the staircase at night. Things get even weirder and visually more striking when parents receive gifted clothes that look a lot like pieces of an ornate sofa. It’s an effectively chilling short, with plenty of intrigue about what’s unfolding in the shadows, leading the house to an absurd trap.
“The House” doesn’t continue that more horror vibe throughout the rest of the story, but rather plays on nightmares of discomfort. In the second short, by Niki Lindroth von Bahr, a rat developer (Jarvis Cocker) tries to get the house ready for exposure, fixing it piece by piece. Despite his optimistic attitude and best intentions, he turned out to be a pushover, running into huge problems along the way, like an infestation of furry beetles alongside the desperation of his pursuit. Even the food he orders for the showing leads to the wrong order, causing him to improvise with hot dogs and ramen. Things get especially weird when two intimidating characters express interest in seeing the play and then staying the night. They soothe him with the repeated words that get weird each time they’re growled: “We’re extremely interested in the house. This short film also makes room for a grand and spooky musical number.
