Sartaj Singh
‘House of Spoils’ follows a professional chef who seeks to open a fine dining restaurant in a remote ramshackle property. With her friend and investor Andres onboard, the two share a vision to transform it into a booming destination restaurant. They are almost successful; however, the ghost of the house’s previous owner begins to haunt the budding establishment, spoiling the food and exerting her dark influence over the chef. Co-directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, the Amazon Prime horror film explores themes of growth, decay, and patriarchy. The strange wilderness surrounding the restaurant, combined with its creepy vine-covered structure, makes for a truly unsettling setting around which the terror unfolds.
House of Spoils Filming Locations
Filming for ‘House of Spoils’ was carried out entirely in the Central European country of Hungary. The team ventured to its capital city, Budapest, and also filmed in the village of Ráckeresztúr. Principal photography for the project began in late August 2022 and was completed by late November of the same year. In preparation for the cooking she would have to do to portray an expert chef, lead actress Ariana DeBose trained for a week with NYC chef Ayesha Nurdjaja of Shukette.
“I was raised in a kitchen, but that doesn’t make me a chef. So I did train… I continued to train while we were making this movie with our food stylist, Zoe Hegedus,” revealed DeBose in an interview. “I literally sharpened my knife skills every day. I really tried; I put in the effort.”
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest, Hungary’s vibrant capital, played a role in the filming of ‘House of Spoils,’ particularly in capturing the urban environment where the chef initially works before quitting to pursue her dream of opening a fine dining restaurant. These locales also serve to contrast the bustling city life and the remote, eerie property where the chef eventually relocates to pursue her dream. As the crew filmed through the fall and winter approached, the city and its surrounding territories became naturally foggy, contributing to the film’s aesthetic and enhancing the ominous tone that permeates throughout the story.
Cinematographer Eric Lin seemed to fall for the picturesque urban landscapes of Budapest, photographing trams and gritty nightscapes. He also reflected on the ethereal nature of the city as the mist descended upon it during filming. “Been back for a week, but it’s hard to shake the beauty of foggy Budapest,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “When we started shooting, I asked for lots of haze for select exterior scenes, but by the end of the shoot, we often had no choice but dense fog. The mistiness lent a magical atmosphere to our shoot.”
Ráckeresztúr, Hungary
The village of Ráckeresztúr, situated in Hungary’s Fejér County, depicts the remote forested backdrops seen in ‘House of Spoils.’ The actual property that stood in for the haunted estate in ‘House of Spoils’ is the Pázmándy-Brauch kastély or the Brauch Manor in Ráckeresztúr. The manor is, in reality, not overgrown or dilapidated at all but was given a complete makeover for the purpose of the film. Production designer Alexandra Schaller gave the property an aged and eerie feel, making it seem like nature was invading its every nook and cranny. The production team also constructed the garden and the kitchen from scratch.
The Brauch Manor was built in the 1820s by the Pázmándy family, and it is complete with a family crypt below it, making it a perfect filming destination for the horror movie. The 8-hectare estate also features a granary, a neo-Gothic chapel, stables, servant quarters, and a wine cellar. It remains open to the public for tours, private events, and filming. Over the years, it has served as the filming location for movies like Attila Szász’s ‘Demimonde,’ ‘Those Who Remained,’ and Disney’s ‘Hands Off My Dad!.’
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