The Home is a film that attempts to blend different styles of horror, but really struggles to find any clear direction, as while it throws a lot at the screen, very little of it lands successfully.
The story centers on Max (Pete Davidson), a man carrying the weight of a painful past. Max lost his older brother Luke in a tragic event that left him emotionally scarred, and his life since has been rocky, shall we say.
He’s given one last chance to get back on track though when he takes a job as a janitor at Green Meadows, a retirement home, and at first, Max builds a rapport with the residents and appears to be finding some stability.
But then he starts experiencing some disturbing dreams, sleepless nights, and is forbidden from accessing the building’s fourth floor, which set the stage for a mystery that slowly unravels.
Pete Davidson isn't particularly good here, and while he isn't someone I would say is a good actor, with the right role he can pull something off, such as in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. But to be fair, most of the acting here is pretty wooden.
The main issue I had with film though is its lack of focus, as it tries to throw so many tropes at you throughout that it never really knows what it wants to be, and it's trying to be everything at once without really achieving much.
The film’s pacing is another problem, as it builds slowly at first, with a tense atmosphere that hints at something interesting, but as the story progresses, that the tension becomes quite muddled throughout.
The premise is quite interesting I think, but the execution of it all sadly lets it down, and is one of those films where you can say less is more would have helped a lot.
The practical effects were OK though, and if you like visual horror elements, you will probably find things to like here, and the final act delivers an experience that breaks free from the film’s earlier uncertainty.
It’s quite a fun climax, and this shift in tone, while a bit jarring compared to the slower buildup, at least offered some energy that rescues the film from feeling like a complete misfire.
In the end, the Home is a film with some interesting ideas that just never fully come together. The messy, uneven execution overshadows the potential that I do think is there, and the story leans far too heavily on familiar horror tropes without adding anything new or surprising.
It just ends up being a retread of very well-worn territory, and has many of the same beats you’ve seen countless times before, without the tension or originality to make it stand out. I wish it had been more focused, more confident, and a bit more daring in some of its choices.
I found it a frustrating watch, a film with promise that stumbles through, saved only by some solid practical effects and a chaotic final act.
If you’re a fan of practical gore and don’t mind a muddled messy script, there might be something here for you. Otherwise, you’re better off just revisiting horror films that know exactly what they want to be, rather than one that’s still searching for its identity.