House at the End of the Street

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, Elisabeth Shue, Gil Bellows, Eva Link
Directed by: Mark Tonderai
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A girl (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother (Elisabeth Shue) move into a new house, right next door to a house where a little girl murdered her parents. They discover that the little girl's older brother (Max Thieriot) is living in the house, and despite her mother's wishes, the new girl befriends him. She soon discovers that the house holds a terrifying secret.

Review:

Tim: I very well could be crazy, but I enjoyed The House at the End of the Street. It's no classic, but it's a serviceable little horror film that kept me entertained throughout it's 101 minute run time. Let me say that I get why critics trashed this film, but I disagree with them, to a certain extent. While this film was far from perfect, I still liked it quite a bit.

The film starts out in typical horror movie fashion- a mother and daughter move to a new house. As so often happens, their new home is right next to a house where a little girl murdered her parents. At this point, we can start guessing where the story will go. Was the little girl framed, and the real murderer still lurking? Is the house haunted, and the ghosts of her murdered parents out haunting the neighborhood? Did the little girl really die, or is she still lurking the shadows, ready to kill again? These were some of my initial questions when I started this movie. While not exactly original, the film's story did proceed in some slightly unexpected directions. Maybe others saw the twists coming, but I was genuinely surprised in a few places. I really appreciated that this film kept me on my toes.

I also loved how the film took it's time to get to the thrilling parts. The beginning of the film really doesn't feel like a horror movie at all. The story takes time to develop its characters. The beginning of the film felt like a very different movie and I got caught up in the story about the new girl trying to fit in, making a friend that she thought was trustworthy and wasn't, and then making a new friend everyone dislikes, but who turned out to be rather sweet. The focus wasn't on the thrills and chills, it was about these people- that's rare for a horror movie to devote that much time to its characters, and it paid off.

Like most of the world, I've been impressed with Jennifer Lawrence thus far in her young career. Many people might see this film as a misstep for her, but I disagree. She's added a horror film to her resume, and it's one that is significantly more intelligent than many out there. Plus, her role consisted more of her just running and screaming. While she certainly has opportunities to do the typical horror movie things, this was a meatier role than many would expect. I also liked seeing Elisabeth Shue here. She was believable as Lawrence's mother, and while she spends most of the movie worried about her daughter, I thought their complex, complicated relationship was fairly fascinating to watch. It made me feel like these were more realistic characters. Shue's presence was a welcome one.

I was very impressed with Max Thieriot. I've seen him in only a few small roles in previous films, but I think he has the potential to be a big star. His quiet, introverted performance was chilling and powerful. Without using much emotion, he conveyed a lot of pain and regret. I was mesmerized by his performance at various points in the movie. He worked well with Lawrence, and was probably the most memorable part of the film for me. I very much expect big things for Thieriot in the future. I also enjoyed Gil Bellows here. He has one of those faces- "I know him from something?!", and I thought he worked well in a small role. The cast as a whole was very impressive for a horror film, and one of the reasons why I liked this movie as much as I did.

I get why a lot of people trashed this movie- it's certainly difficult to make a good horror movie. However, I don't believe the genre as a whole should be written off. While House at the End of the Street doesn't revolutionize the genre, it tells an interesting story that kept me engaged and surprised me with a few twists and turns. It entertained me, and it did what horror movies are supposed to do. I've seen a lot of terrible horror films in my day, and despite what some people may say- this is not one of them.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mirrors, The Fog, Hollow Man, Winter's Bone