A surprisingly clever riff on a familiar recipe, Prime Video’s “ House of Spoils ” seems like a dark fairy tale you could make better yourself — at first. Part “The Bear” and part “The Witch,” this supernatural horror outing follows a nameless Chef ( Ariana DeBose ) in an allegory about ambitious women that lacks bite but isn’t without its own special sauce. Writer/directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy broke out with their tenacious crime thriller “Blow the Man Down” in 2019 and show a well-earned confidence in this imperfect but still occasionally enchanting first-time genre effort.
The duo’s second feature builds on a bare-bones concept that feels more rudimentary than rustic much of the time, and yet, the filmmakers’ decisive presentation is enjoyable enough as an entrée served straight to streaming. Jeremy Allen White has the market cornered on tortured culinary professionals — and, as far as the cast of Spielberg’s “West Side Story” is concerned, Rachel Zegler is its only certified Disney Princess . Still, the quietly magical DeBose seems at home here and, on occasion, even dazzles as a final girl in what’s ultimately an ultra-modern retelling of “Hansel & Gretel.
” Tales of foodies lured to spooky garden cottages deep in the woods may be centuries old, but “House of Spoils” reheats that framework as an intriguing fine dining experience garnished with a fresh take on sneaky sorcery. Leaving her prestigious role at a.