His House 2020

Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) are refugees who bravely flee from the war-torn landscapes of South Sudan, accompanied by their daughter, Nyagak. Their perilous journey involves crossing stormy Mediterranean waters on a crowded motorboat filled with other hopeful refugees, all yearning for a brighter future in Europe. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes during this treacherous passage, as they manage to survive, but not without losing their beloved daughter and many others along the way.

Three months later, they are granted probational asylum in the UK, but the grim reality sets in as they are provided with a run-down house on the outskirts of London, its walls peeling and the furnishings hardly livable. They are subjected to stringent restrictions, living under the constant threat of deportation. Their new life is overshadowed by the challenges of racism and hostility from their neighbors in the tenement.

As they start to adapt to their surroundings, they meet their case worker, Mark, portrayed by Matt Smith, who cautiously expresses his hopes that they are among “the good ones.” Striving for acceptance, Bol attempts to assimilate into British culture by embracing local customs—singing football songs, urging Rial to eat with utensils instead of their hands, and even changing his attire. In contrast, Rial holds on tightly to their heritage, cherishing Nyagak’s necklace, wearing vibrant clothes, and opting to eat on the floor, further emphasizing their cultural ties.

However, their new home harbors strange and unsettling experiences. Both Bol and Rial begin witnessing visions of their daughter Nyagak and a mysterious male figure who seem to escape into the very walls that surround them. The reality of their haunted existence becomes clearer when Rial identifies the malevolent presence as an apeth, or “night witch.” She recounts a tale from her village about a man who unknowingly provoked an apeth, leading to a life filled with torment.

Determined to reclaim their daughter, Rial believes that if they can repay the debt owed to the apeth, they might have a chance to see Nyagak again. Confusion reigns as they try to comprehend what this debt truly entails. In a desperate act, Bol decides to burn everything they brought with them, but the haunting continues, creating tension between him and Rial. After realizing their living conditions are intolerable, Bol seeks assistance from Mark to find a new place, fabricating a story about rats infesting their home, but he proves unsuccessful.

Feeling increasingly tormented, Bol’s behavior deteriorates as he frantically searches for the apeth, risking their asylum status. Rial, sensing the distress, expresses her desire to leave. In a moment of desperation, Bol locks Rial inside their home while he calls upon the apeth himself, who pierces through his guilt by declaring him a thief who has taken what was never his to possess. The apeth offers an agonizing trade of his life for Nyagak’s, yet Bol resolutely rejects the deal, leading to a period of emotional paralysis that engulfs him in rage.

Meanwhile, Rial escapes their harrowing home only to find herself transported back to South Sudan, where echoes of her past unfold in a familiar classroom filled with former friends—victims of a dreadful massacre. Reminded of the violence that forced them away, she reunites with Bol, and they seek a way out as turmoil ensues around them. Their escape takes a dark turn when desperation strikes; Bol sees a child resembling Nyagak and seizes the opportunity, claiming her as his own to board a bus headed for safety. The heart-wrenching scene of Nyagak’s real mother left behind, as gunfire erupts, adds to the emotional turmoil of their choices.

Eventually, they find themselves crossing unforgiving seas once again, where tragedy claims Nyagak once more, forcing Bol to confront his past and offer restitution to the apeth. As Bol prepares to merge with this malevolent spirit, Nyagak miraculously reappears to Rial. In a final act of defiance against the apeth, Rial chooses to save Bol by slitting the creature’s throat, breaking the cycle of torment.

When Mark returns for an inspection, he finds their home transformed and repaired. Bol and Rial, now resolved, declare their intention to stay and make a life for themselves, saying that Rial has vanquished the witch that haunted them. With a mix of somber acceptance and hope, they choose to move forward in their new home, haunted by their past, yet determined to live alongside its shadows.

In a poignant vision, the couple stands together with other immigrants at the threshold of their new life, peacefully looking towards the possibility of a brighter future, juxtaposed against the haunting memories of those they have left behind.