What is House of Spoils about? Insidious studio’s new horror movie on Prime Video explained

House of Spoils is a new Ariana DeBose horror movie that’s now streaming on Prime Video – here’s your guide to the film’s unusual plot.

Culinary horror movies are an unusual subset of the genre, where entries include the likes of Raw, Fresh, Flux Gourmet, Dumplings, and at a stretch, the Hannibal Lecter movies.

House of Spoils – written and directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy – can now be added to that list, as the film features lots of kitchen action, while also tapping into something more supernatural.

Ariana DeBose stars as the chef at the heart of the Prime Video movie… here’s what we know about its storyline.

How House of Spoils leans into culinary horror

House of Spoils revolves around a chef working at a top restaurant, who decides to leave that prestigious gig with plans to oversee a place of her own.

Collaborating with a shady businessman, they have a location on a remote estate and set about turning the property into an esteemed countryside destination.

But chef initially has problems sorting produce and finding staff before a haunting presence seems to sabotage her efforts. It threatens opening night in the new movie, and causes chef to question her own sanity.

Is it worth watching?

If you’re expecting out-and-out horror from House of Spoils, it might be worth giving it a miss – but stick around for some excellent workplace drama.

The movie debuted at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, last month, and currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 59%, based on 17 reviews.

Writing about House of Spoils, The Guardian said: “It still might struggle for those expecting a scare (scenes of DeBose hearing a noise and investigating are largely ineffectual) but there’s something undeniably involving about the against-all-odds workplace drama of it.”

While Bloody Disgusting wrote: “The horror elements are scarce, making for a more uplifting tale perfect for the Halloween season rather than one that’ll induce frights. It makes for a breezy, feel-good culinary treat, but one that won’t satiate those looking for something to get under their skin.”

House of Spoils is now streaming on Prime Video. You can check out more horror movies to stream on Prime Video, alongside reviews for Terrifier 3 and Heretic.