[FrightFest 2026] FILM REVIEW: Home Bodies

Home Bodies - FrightFest International Premiere Review

Director: Casey Walker

Starring: Emma Ho, Ian Ho, Ess Hödlmoser

Written by: Adrian Murray, Marcus Sullivan

Produced by: Karen Harnisch, Casey Walker

Cinematography by: Bryn McCashin

Original Score by: Blitz/Berlin

Synopsis:

Two children, raised in total isolation by an automated house, begin to confront the mysteries of their existence after an enigmatic stranger arrives from outside.

Thoughts:

From the producer of 'The Void' and 'In A Violent Nature' comes this low key science fiction film with only 3 cast members that uses ingredients from a host of other famous sci-fi movies and manages to come up with something quite original. Sadly the pacing is off and I felt like it dragged on too much for my liking.

Real life siblings Emma and Ian Ho star as Red and Blue, a brother and sister born into a strange and disconcerting captivity. A sort of futuristic house with long corridors, pulsing lights and rooms and appliances that are operated by an unseen entity. Raised on their own but nurtured and cultivated by a bright light known as Papa, the two children must live out their days in repetitious solitude. Red seems older and wiser with a bit more grit and rationality who maybe isn't as content and is ready to start questioning things, while Blue feels more robotic and happy to follow the rules. But when a stranger arrives in their home, their everyday life is turned upside down and their loyalty to Papa begins to waver.

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I love the premise. It basically takes little bits of 'The Matrix', '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'THX 1138', '1984' and some other classic sci-fi films and throws them all in a big soup bowl. There's a focus on totalitarianism and the exploration of blindly respecting and defying authority to what end.

I also really appreciated the aesthetics too. The living space has some resemblance to a normal family home but there's an uncanny feeling in each room that gives certain scenes and sequences an off kilter look. I enjoyed the way Bryn McCashin shot the film, particularly the moments when the stranger Pal (Ess Hödlmoser) arrives. The initial shot of it's eye glaring through the Christmas tree is genuinely terrifying and even the way it stares and moves is very disquieting.

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The runtime is 97 minutes long but it felt much longer. I understand there needs to be a fairly lengthy set-up for us to fully understand the kids situation but honestly it was tough at times. Things finally start kicking into gear when Pal arrives and we get a sense of where the film might be going. The kids do a great job here. They both have their roles to play in maintaining conflict and the script just about manages to squeeze enough out of its premise to keep it intriguing up to the end scene.

'Home Bodies' is an interesting commentary on authority, free will and to some extent social experiments. It asks questions about group dynamics and human interaction. It has it's compelling moments but ultimately fell a bit short on the final stretch.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½

-Gav Logan

'Home Bodies' received its International Premiere at FrightFest '26 on August 29th