Film: House at the End of the Street

Director: Mark Tonderai
Genre: Horror
Source: USA (2012)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Watch
Grade: C

Like all somewhat average "slasher" movies (though admittedly, not a lot of slashing goes on), House at the End of the Street owes a lot to Psycho, though a glossed up, teen friendly riff on Hitchcock's classic. The film seems to have gotten a lot of vitriol from critics, but in conversation with my film classes I've found it to be generally effective for a teen audience with twists and turns that kept them guessing. I'll admit, it kept me guessing for a while as well. The film teases the idea that a particular character might not be dead as everyone thinks, but rather than dragging out this rather obvious twist, they answer it right away and get their shocks (and their surprises) in other more creative ways. And if the ending had to hammer home its points a few too many times, it still was pretty fun to watch.

That's mostly due to a cast that's really much better than is usually associated with films like this. Elisabeth Shue (now relegated from one of my teenage crushes to playing the mom in every movie) doesn't have much to do besides be inconsistently concerned and overly trusting. But, again, that's because this is a movie for teenagers, where parents are kind of dumb but ultimately love you. Really it's a movie about Jennifer Lawrence, and that's not a bad thing, because Jennifer Lawrence is a talented enough actress to make her kind of two-dimensional character interesting. I mean, it's no Winter's Bone, and it's a little weird to me that this is a movie she made after that fine little film, but I guess people have to work. 

Max Thieriot is also solid as the "wounded boy with a dark past who nobody trusts because his sister murdered his family and so the house is driving down home prices." Again, a little two dimensional, but he is given a few interesting things to do as the film progresses. 

Overall it's no masterpiece, but as far as PG-13 horror goes, this movie is enough down its own path (with nods to the past, as I mentioned) that you could do worse. It's not looking to shock with watered down gore; it's trying to create a sense of atmosphere and impending danger, and I'd say it mostly succeeds.