Reviews
The Home
The Home marks an uninspired return to the horror genre for James DeMonaco (The Purge). Plagued with telegraphed, repetitive jump scares and a thinly veiled attempt at social commentary, the film meanders aimlessly for much of its runtime; not even an outrageously gruesome and unexpectedly fun climax can save the dull, sluggish preceding 85 minutes. DeMonaco trades the blood-soaked streets of America featured in The Purge for an elderly care home with a twisted secret. Max (Pete Davidson) is a young man with a troubled past, haunted by the suicide of his foster brother. To avoid jail time, he swaps his criminal past for a janitor’s role at Green Meadows, and after hearing endless screams at night, Max’s curiosity is piqued, leading him to the forbidden fourth floor, where he uncovers the home’s chilling secrets…
Tonally The Home feels like it has a lot to say without ever really saying anything at all, skirting around the idea of generational conflct, with a particular focus on the boomer generation’s grip on the world. If explored in any intricate way, this could have delivered something profound, but instead, it collapses into an “old people suck” narrative, robbing the premise of any meaningful depth. DeMonaco also flirts with discussing the issue of global warming, with severe, if not life threatening weather forecasts constantly appearing on the care home’s televisions. But like most of the movie’s ideas, this is never fully developed or explored, contributing little to the overall story.
Pacing is one of the biggest issues that The Home faces; both the first and second acts crawl along at a snail’s pace with little tension or urgency. In place of any suspense, the film relies on cheap, unearned jump scares, seemingly only there to ensure viewers remain awake. Some of the supporting cast provide the occasionally bright spark. Mary Beth Peil (The Good Wife) as Norma and John Glover (Smallville) as Lou give engaging performances that attempt to elevate the material. But even their best efforts are washed out by a sea of forgettable characters and underwhelming performances.
At the center of those underwhelming performances is Pete Davidson. While he’s proven himself as an extremely talented comedic actor, his first attempt at leading a more serious movie falls flat. His performance feels one dimensional and at times, lacking in effort. The script doesn’t do him any favours, but based on this showing, it’s hard to say if Davidson is ready for a role of this magnitude.The finale provides a surprisingly entertaining culmination; an unforeseen twist erupts into a wild bloodbath sequence that wouldn’t feel out of place in an action movie. It’s a fun and chaotic payoff that some horror fans will cling onto, but it arrives far too late to eradicate the stagnant and uninspiring 85 minutes that precede it, ensuring The Home becomes another forgettable 2025 horror movie.
