Worst weekend getaway ever. That seems to be the genesis for the idea for the new horror pic THE BEACH HOUSE from writer-director Jeffrey A. Brown. It starts when Randall (Noah Le Gros) takes his girlfriend Emily (Liana Liberato) to the family beach house before the start of the season. This leads to unexpected guests, a killer fog that sweeps the area, and strong edibles that kick things into high gear. While not entirely gripping at the outset, Brown’s script speeds up as it goes along leading to a pretty satisfying crescendo that left me happily creeped out.

After Randall and Emily arrive at the two-story coastal getaway, the two wake up to discover Jane (Maryann Nagel) shucking oysters downstairs and Mitch (Jake Weber) coming in with groceries. Old family friends, Jane and Mitch had scheduled to spend time at the home through Randall’s father. The two couples actually make the best of things and decide to spend the weekend catching up and enjoying one another’s company. It’s only after dinner where all but Emily eat oysters pulled from the nearby beach, that wine begins to flow and the idea of edibles is broached. That’s not to mention the bioluminescent fog that seems to be rolling in and collecting in gelatinous globs on the trees near the water.

Maybe the edibles and Chardonnay were a bad choice. Maybe Jane’s medications caused a poor reaction to light drugs and alcohol. Maybe the “soft” water that Mitch discovers coming out of the tap in the kitchen might be nonpotable. We are given plenty of reasons to think that our four narrators are less than reliable. So when we begin to see a sentient mist roll in or little tendrils squiggling in the oysters we accept it as part of the trip. Then things go really, really bad.

I have to admit that as The Beach House went on, I grew to like it. This is a rarity. Yes, there is a beautiful sundrenched aesthetic thanks to Paul Rice‘s production design and equally beautiful lensing by Owen Levelle. But the beginning of the film felt a bit forced as it introduces the viewer to the ideas of microbiology and developing life. Liberato does her best to make it through Emily’s monologues on science and nucleic acid, but it is repetitive and for the most part unnecessary. Open our minds to the idea then leave it at that. With all of the elegant work happening on-screen these stretched feel the most clunky.

Once you push past the dinner scene things pick up and we are treated to some wonderfully eerie moments and glorious practical effects. There are even a few very Carpenteresque moments as the fog settles in and our heroes must fight with the unknown. All things considered, The Beach House is a creepy diversion worth your time. There’s lots of mystery, plenty of gore, and a great view.

Rating 6 out of 10