In a “Get Out” fashion, “The Home” takes to the theater as Pete Davidson stars as Max, a foster kid who loses his best friend and foster brother at a young age. The devastation continues to haunt the young man into adulthood, lashing out and breaking the law with his stylistic graffiti. Caught red-handed as he makes his artistic statement on a building, Max, thanks to his foster father, receives a sentence of community service at a remote old folks home, much to Max’s chagrin. Arriving at the home and setting up his room for the next four months, Max hears screams from the fourth floor, a forbidden area. While Max is portrayed as a degenerate, he has a compassionate heart; one that may lead to his own demise.
The secrets hidden amongst the residents at Green Meadows, lead by Dr. Sabian (Bruce Altman), and the friend Max has made in Norma as she warns him that there is something very wrong here, drive Max to take matters into his own hands. What he discovers is unpredictable, but the path which the writer and director, James De Monaco, takes is much too formulaic.
As the stereotypical horror flick develops its plot and introduces us to each of the characters, it relies much too heavily upon the musical score to give us those requisite heebie geebies. The cast is a seasoned one which De Monaco doesn’t seem to trust, overlaying each scene with the screechy music at every moment possible.
Davidson attempts to carry the film, but it’s heavy lifting for this actor known primarily for comedy and this, my friends, is no comedy. However, by the middle of the wheel-spinning middle of the film, we are connected to him and wonder how he will save himself and those who are in danger. Unfortunately, that “Substance”-like ending is just off-putting.
Within every horror film, special effects are a character in and of itself and “The Home” takes full advantage of this skill, and pairing it with everyone’s fear of something happening to our eyes. It’s truly gruesome and these images are burned into my memory. Of course, cinematography is also key in a horror film and the off-set angles add to the creepiness of the story.
“The Home” has all the earmarks of a memorable and unique story, but, unfortunately, the story loses its pacing and sputters. Had we have gotten to the heart of the story earlier and not killed us with the score, perhaps it would have been a more “enjoyable” horror flick. And the ending is just another slasher film, discrediting the entire movie.
2 stars
