HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: B -

Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, Elizabeth Shue, Gil Bellows

Story by Jonathan Mostow

Screenplay by David Loucka
Directed by Mark Tonderai

Jennifer Lawrence, the Academy Award nominee who should have beat Natalie Portman, and who went on to star in this year's mega hit The Hunger Games, anchors this movie in the role of  Elissa, a high schooler who moves to small, upscale, rural town with her mother Sarah, who is seeking a fresh start and has found he dream house. The house has everything, and best of all, it's cheap, because a double homicide took place next door years ago, which tends to depreciate property value, especially in the movies.

It seems that a girl named Carrie Ann killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared into the night. The house is no inhabited by the family's sole survivor, Carrie Ann's brother Ryan, played by Max Thieriot. Ryan had ostensibly been away caring for a sickly aunt at the time the murder. Ryan is rarely scene in town, and is a social outcast whom everyone talks about, but no no one actually talks to, apart from the kindly local Sheriff (played by The Shawshank Redemption's Gill Bellows).

Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan—and the closer they get, the deeper she is pulled into a mystery that goes far deeper than anyone in town even imagines.

Much in the same way that Disturbia was clearly a teenage version of Alfred Hithcock's classic Rear Window, House At The End Of The The Street is a blatant, if not entirely effective homage to Psycho, set in the world of teen angst. But where Disturbia was essentially just a rip off of Rear Window, this film definitely deserves the distinction of being called a homage, featuring a new surprisingly intriguing story of it's own and some genuinely interesting ideas, and there is a fair amount to genuinely admire about this movie. Unfortunately, partially as a result of aiming higher on a creative level, in the end it's just not nearly as successful as Disturbia was at being a solid piece of entertainment.

The story is most certainly involving, but it's also convoluted and it succumbs to too many potholes and “how can anyone be that stupid” moments. It's a movie that deserves credit for aspiring to be more than a cheap slasher exploitation film, instead going for the Hitchockian psychological suspense thriller, and on some level it succeeds, but it's impossible to get past the feeling that it simply could have been a lot better. Strong performances by the always engaging Lawrence, a complex and intriguing portrayal by Max Thieriot, and a story by Jonathan Mostow, who wrote and directed the implausible but wildly entertaining Breakdown, are definitely key ingredients to what seems like a good recipe, but unfortunately, director Mark Tonderai simply isn't a strong enough chef, and the result is decidedly half baked.

Tonderai has only made one other feature, 2009's Hush, and he's working way too hard to try to prove himself here, over thinking and milking each and every shot, trying to add heavy elements of Michael Bay and Paul Greengrass, as well as countless other directors, instead of just serving the story. A few less attempts at getting in all of the text book money shots and more time spent on characterization, in particularly some questionable choices concerning Ryan, would have served the movie well. In addition, Elizabeth Shue, as Elissa's frustrated single mother, gives an uneven and often irritating performance that is not helped at all by weak dialogue and ill defined back story. Shue looks terrific, and when she came on screen I sfound myself thinking "what every happened to her? Why did she stop making movies?" Then she tried to act and I remembered.

Complaints aside, this is still one of the better mainstream horror films in recent memory, and it succeeds at providing it's share of scares and twists, some of which are quite clever if a bit predictable, and some of the more haunting elements of the story may linger in your head for days afterward. That's enough to give it a moderate recommendation and call House a somewhat successful film – but it's not enough to make it great.

House At The End Of The Street is rated PG-13 for violence and disturbing imagery, as well as mild profanity and sexual references.