THE LAST HOUSE
Starring: Greta Lee, Wagner Moura, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Riley Chung, Emma Ho, and Gabriel Barbosa
Director: Louis Leterrier
PAIGE
The first half of The Last House pulled me in, and I was intrigued by the premise and the possibilities of where it could go. But after the first hour, the movie became incredibly drawn out. As it went on, it felt like it didn’t know what to do with its own premise. It fails to build on its potential and ultimately becomes a very generic creature feature. And to be honest, the monsters were more threatening when we didn’t know what they looked like. My biggest question after watching this movie is: how the hell did Greta Lee and Wagner Moura agree to star in such a mediocre pandemic-like flick?
KATIE
The Last House is a lockdown-inspired thriller with an initially strong premise that ultimately fails to stick the landing. It’s at its best in the first half, when it goes from a family making the best out of a bad situation to something more dire, and the question of their survival is where it feels claustrophobic with a strained atmosphere. From there, it struggles to commit to a tone, and the insular drama feels slightly theatrical. Although the performances are good, the film doesn't get the most out of its very talented cast. It also reveals its hand too early, which destroys the sense of tension.
ROBERT
How actors parlay prestige breakout films into large-scale projects is always a point of fascination for me because they usually have options. When considering The Last House for Greta Lee and Wagner Moura, what was it: a decent concept on the page, the chance to work together, or the Brinks truck of money they hopefully received? Aside from the latter, there seemed to be little enticement. The script muted their acting sensibilities and played as any mundane survival film. There was substandard visual appeal and the plot was as stagnant as the main family’s situation by the end. 2022 called for its topical movie back.
