This review will contain some spoilers but you will be warned in advance, in case you want to skip over them.
Now, it seems that the jury is out on this film as people either seem to absolutely HATE it or absolutely LOVE it. Here's my take
This film does hold much merit. It is a fresh concept and the story is creative. The presentation is unique (Holiday logging via video camera). There is quality acting (I enjoyed the playful father character). The horror does not rely on excessive gore or sudden 'jumps'. In other words, the foundation for a potentially great horror movie is present. There are also some very clever clues along the way that tie together nicely in the end. The types of clues that you would think about after and say "Oh yeaaa!"
*Spoilers alert* For example: 1) the story about the dragon that appears to be a child, but ends up being something much worse. The dragon wears a paper bag on its head before it feast on humans. You'll see the children wearing paper bags in both the final scene and in the scene where they were about to 'feast' on their school buddy. 2) Another clever clue is when the son is raking leaves and the father tells him "today's lesson: dead things go in garbage bags" (referring to the dead bug). In the final scene we see the soon-to-be-dead parents in these same garbage bags, tied to a table. *End spoiler*
These clever clues don't serve to necessary further the story, they are purely a nice touch . like a fine wine that matches perfect with a wonderful steak dinner.
Now, the problem with this movie is that the steak is BURNT. As mentioned, the foundation (steak) for a solid horror flick is present. But there are simply too many annoyances (BURNT!) with the story that you are successfully pulled from the experience. I can replay the final scene in my head, and IMAGINE myself being terrified by it. However, when I actually experienced this final scene, when I was watching it on screen, I didn't even flinch. I wasn't terrified, and this was because I wasn't engaged in the action. When watching one of this 'home video' type of films (Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity), it is crucial that you buy into the experience, you have to put yourself in their shoes; you have to relate or it doesn't work. Home Movie fails at this. Mainly because characters choices don't make sense or things that happen aren't possible, and you're sitting there wondering "wtf?"
*Spoiler alert* Here are some of the annoyances: 1) Your kids tie you up, beat you, drag you downstairs, tie you to a chair, force-feed you but you manage to untie yourself. Are you going to untie your husband next? Or are you going to wander through the house alone to get the baseball bat. No one on this planet is NOT going to untie their husband first and venture off alone. Are you kidding me? 2) How are two nine year olds able to bond two sleeping parents with tension-straps without waking them up? I can forgive everything after this point, like the force-feeding, or the fact that the kids had the strength to drag them downstairs. But seriously? How could they tie them without waking them, and with TENSION STRAPS. They would have to be epically tight so stop them from wiggling free. They WOULD have woken up, it's not possible. 3) So the mom has wandered a mile from the house in the middle of the night. A nine year old plans to drag her home in a WAGON. Have you tried pulling a WAGON in a FOREST? You're better off just dragging her. But somehow a nine year old kid is able to drag a waggon with an adult in it, through a forest, WITH ONE ARM, because he is holding a camera with the other. No effing way. *Spoiler end*
The potential is there, but they fail in the details. By the time the movie ends, you don't buy it, so you can't relate. They've lost you so there is no shock, and effectively, no terror. Had they not failed in the details, we would have had a very good horror movie, with clever clues that would entice us to watch it again and again.
Now, it seems that the jury is out on this film as people either seem to absolutely HATE it or absolutely LOVE it. Here's my take
This film does hold much merit. It is a fresh concept and the story is creative. The presentation is unique (Holiday logging via video camera). There is quality acting (I enjoyed the playful father character). The horror does not rely on excessive gore or sudden 'jumps'. In other words, the foundation for a potentially great horror movie is present. There are also some very clever clues along the way that tie together nicely in the end. The types of clues that you would think about after and say "Oh yeaaa!"
*Spoilers alert* For example: 1) the story about the dragon that appears to be a child, but ends up being something much worse. The dragon wears a paper bag on its head before it feast on humans. You'll see the children wearing paper bags in both the final scene and in the scene where they were about to 'feast' on their school buddy. 2) Another clever clue is when the son is raking leaves and the father tells him "today's lesson: dead things go in garbage bags" (referring to the dead bug). In the final scene we see the soon-to-be-dead parents in these same garbage bags, tied to a table. *End spoiler*
These clever clues don't serve to necessary further the story, they are purely a nice touch . like a fine wine that matches perfect with a wonderful steak dinner.
Now, the problem with this movie is that the steak is BURNT. As mentioned, the foundation (steak) for a solid horror flick is present. But there are simply too many annoyances (BURNT!) with the story that you are successfully pulled from the experience. I can replay the final scene in my head, and IMAGINE myself being terrified by it. However, when I actually experienced this final scene, when I was watching it on screen, I didn't even flinch. I wasn't terrified, and this was because I wasn't engaged in the action. When watching one of this 'home video' type of films (Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity), it is crucial that you buy into the experience, you have to put yourself in their shoes; you have to relate or it doesn't work. Home Movie fails at this. Mainly because characters choices don't make sense or things that happen aren't possible, and you're sitting there wondering "wtf?"
*Spoiler alert* Here are some of the annoyances: 1) Your kids tie you up, beat you, drag you downstairs, tie you to a chair, force-feed you but you manage to untie yourself. Are you going to untie your husband next? Or are you going to wander through the house alone to get the baseball bat. No one on this planet is NOT going to untie their husband first and venture off alone. Are you kidding me? 2) How are two nine year olds able to bond two sleeping parents with tension-straps without waking them up? I can forgive everything after this point, like the force-feeding, or the fact that the kids had the strength to drag them downstairs. But seriously? How could they tie them without waking them, and with TENSION STRAPS. They would have to be epically tight so stop them from wiggling free. They WOULD have woken up, it's not possible. 3) So the mom has wandered a mile from the house in the middle of the night. A nine year old plans to drag her home in a WAGON. Have you tried pulling a WAGON in a FOREST? You're better off just dragging her. But somehow a nine year old kid is able to drag a waggon with an adult in it, through a forest, WITH ONE ARM, because he is holding a camera with the other. No effing way. *Spoiler end*
The potential is there, but they fail in the details. By the time the movie ends, you don't buy it, so you can't relate. They've lost you so there is no shock, and effectively, no terror. Had they not failed in the details, we would have had a very good horror movie, with clever clues that would entice us to watch it again and again.