The Home, 2025.
Directed by James DeMonaco.
Starring Pete Davidson, Bruce Altman, Marilee Talkington, John Glover, Matthew Miniero, Jagger Nelson, Jimmy Gary Jr., Ethan Phillips, David Moreland, Nathalie Schmidt, Linder Sutton, and Daphne Rey.
SYNOPSIS:
Follows Max, who realizes that the residents and caretakers in the retirement home he started working at hide sinister secrets.
Putting stoner comedian Pete Davidson in a horror movie is inspired casting that does not go to waste in The Home. Tattooed with “thicker than blood”, orphan Max has gone down a directionless and troubled path in life following the suicide of his older nonbiological brother away at college, and his foster parents have had enough. After another run-in with the law, it is agreed by all parties that Max will be sent to work at a retirement home as community service. Naturally, all is not right.
There is actually so much that is off about this facility that it’s daunting choosing where to begin. There are residents not only with unusually high sex drives for the elderly, but also keeping a door open as if they want Max to hear or notice. Max is also forbidden from checking out the 4th floor, which appears to be filled with residents who have lost all control of their mental faculties. He strikes up a connection with one of the residents over loss, with her telling him that he is “one of the good ones” and warning him about this place. Then there are residents performing hazing rituals, scaring Max into thinking he will have to clean up an excessive amount of feces. During his eventual investigation of this place, he also finds a laptop and comes across a cam site with a faceless woman, who is also trying to give him warnings.
Much of this is broken up with routine and tired nightmare dream sequences that are somewhat forgivable considering the impressively grotesque makeup effects and gore within them; it’s also worth mentioning that skill extends throughout the film, including its unhinged ultraviolent finale that will either have viewers turning against The Home once and for all with vehement disdain or pumping their fists in the air, cheering on the audacity to switch genres and go where it goes in pulpy, thrilling fashion. Sometimes, that slow build can feel frustrating, but the wait is worth it, especially since the narrative cleverly pays off on several tidbits of foreshadowing.
The mystery is never anything less than intriguing, with Pete Davidson also allowed to occasionally flex his reliable comedic chops with amusing reactionary dialogue to the increasing weirdness around him. It’s also refreshing to see him express fear or confusion as he gets closer and closer to the truth. That’s not to say this is a revelatory performance or award-worthy, but more of a reminder of how pleasantly worthwhile it can be when actors dare to step outside their comfort zones. Wisely, co-writer/director James DeMonaco (creator of The Purge series, which will also give some insight as to how crazed this story is and how far it escalates), penning the script alongside Adam Cantor, approach this letting Pete Davidson be his natural self within the horror genre, which isn’t a choice that would work with everyone but does for someone as distinct as him.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of The Home is its unpredictability. A couple of the reveals might feel obvious, but one is never quite sure what the how or why will be. One of them comes with genuine emotion, although the film is also so busy that it doesn’t fully capitalize on it. This is a story that takes viewers in seemingly every direction, some expected and others not, yet still concludes on a gleefully twisted out-of-left-field note. Whether the messaging in the process is misguided or cruel will be up for debate by those unable to sit back and enjoy those dementedly fun final moments for what they are.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
