[FrightFest 2025] FILM REVIEW: The Home

The Home - FrightFest UK Premiere Review

Director: James DeMonaco

Starring: Pete Davidson, John Glover, Bruce Altman, Mary Beth Peil

Written by: James DeMonaco, Adam Cantor

Produced by: Bill Block, Sébastien K. Lemercier

Cinematography by: Anastas N. Michos

Original Score by: Nathan Whitehead

Synopsis:

After being sentenced to community service at a retirement home, Max soon realises that the residents and caretakers that work there are hiding a sinister secret.

Thoughts:

The Writer/Director of 'The Purge' James DeMonaco returns with a horror film about creepy old people doing creepy old people things. Although it's full of unsettling images, it's also full of way too many horror tropes and cliches to make it impactful.

Rather than waste time and effort on sending petty criminal Max (Pete Davidson) to prison, a judge has settled on several months of community service in the form of a super at a residential home for the elderly. Max has been spraying graffiti on walls and someone doesn't like what he has to say.

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The tropes begin almost immediately as we get flashes of Max as a young boy with his foster brother and foster parents in a not so subtle attempt at foreshadowing. Then Max lands at Green Meadows doors as he gets introduced to the staff and residents including Bruce Altman as Dr. Sabian and John Glover as Lou. But the one person Max becomes friendly with is Norma (Mary Beth Peil) who, as they get closer, reveals that something isn't right in this retirement home. That information, as well as the warning from some of the staff not to go exploring to the 4th floor leaves Max feeling a bit off about working here. He begins to hear screams through the vents in the ceiling and so naturally he wanders off and you'll never guess what floor he ends up on.

What he witnesses is bizarre and disturbing and he gets shouted at for trespassing. But the worst is yet to come.

I wouldn't be Pete Davidson's biggest fan, that's for sure, however I do think he excels in a supporting role as part of an ensemble. He isn't a leading man sadly. His performance here is fine but it's lacking something. I don't think the character really connects with the viewers, not with me anyway. He has some good moments but its a bit inconsitent. That's probably mostly to do with the apathetic script.

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Although the pacing is quite good, the structure is sloppy. Everything is set up too neatly with rarely any innovativeness. There's a fairly ambitous twist that got me but by that point I had already lost interest. The whole film felt like an extended average episode of 'The Twilight Zone' or 'The X-Files'. There's plenty of gore and a scene involving a needle and an eyeball that was gross. And there's a weird overuse of nightmares here that doesn't actually add anything meaningful to the story. I was getting the vibe that DeMonaco may have been influenced by 'Get Out' and his concept is good but his editing needed to be more disciplined to help create more tension.

The practical effects are impressive and the finale is kinda insane but unfortunately it doesn't save 'The Home'. Cliched jumpscares and muddled ideas. It will definitely find its audience but I've already left through the backdoor.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½

-Gavin Logan

'The Home' recevied its UK Premiere at FrightFest '25 on August 21st