Review of House at the End of the Street (2012) by Brendan N — 02 May 2013

Tired retread of many thrillers that have come before it. The real concern is that Jennifer Lawrence fell victim to such a boring genre film. She is an actor of class and easy fell victim to a payday which has put a black spot on the resume. The film had a lot of potential but the teen friendly storyline hurts the film.

The lack of direction is felt with the modest impact on the twist. The general lack of focus on setting up a fun genre film. These types of filmmakers come and go without another chance and its easy to see why when they can't even raise a genre film to at least 60%. I like watching predictable thrillers but they must have some redeeming qualities. This film will disappear without another thought which is a shame as it had the chance to build a bates hotel type of vibe. No atmosphere or script focus destroys the film.

The chance are all very one dimensional. It's bad when the typically great Lawrence looks and acts badly. These type of films normally go straight to DVD for good reason. The problem is a star attaches her name and next you know a slew of followers come along for the ride dragging their career through the mud. I have no characters of importance as auto pilot was clearly the idea here.

The writing is lacking any focus, the twist was good but you need characters and a clear indication of what the film needs to be. The teen horror genre could of used a high profile star and a film true to its core. The writers just throw the twist without a care in the world. It's such a shame when a film with good ideas is just quickly tapped together for a quick profit.

The film is quite the dud and should be avoided. I fall victim to these films all the time but sometimes something comes along and surprises you. Not this film, skip if you can.