“The Last House” follows a family of four who must work together to survive against their dwindling resources and a looming threat after being sealed inside their home with no way out.
This may be titled “The Last House,” but at least early on… this isn’t the last house. Indeed, there are many houses facing the same fate; Matthew Robinson’s screenplay is just focused on the Delgado family. Strangely enough, it’s similar in execution to James DeMonaco’s “The Purge” (2013). There is a world of dangerous possibilities, but it remains relegated to the least interesting aspect of it.
Through the explanation of the core concept, it’s clear that the film has a serious dialogue problem. It’s no different from countless other Netflix Originals that feel the need to spell out the entire plot through exposition. When something strange happens, characters don’t react like real people. Instead, they pause to ask “why?” in five different ways. By listing out every possible scenario, director Louis Leterrier doesn’t show trust in the audience.
Because of the somewhat expanded scope, there is some emotion within. “The Last House” provides glimpses into outsiders’ lives through written communication on signs between neighbors. While these sequences are brief, they highlight the power of human connection in uncertain times. Unfortunately, though, these moments are also undercut by forced dialogue. As Wagner Moura (Jason) holds up signs for his neighbors to read, the silence of it all isn’t emphasized. Instead, he is still forced to read the back-and-forth messages verbatim — likely so that half-focused viewers can still get the gist of the communication.
The performances themselves aren’t bad. Moura’s character takes on the brunt of the load, showing exhaustion both verbally and physically. Greta Lee (Ann) is the emotional anchor of the family, with adequate tears to sell the stakes. Also appearing are Gabriel Barbosa (17-year-old Graham), Emma Ho (13-year-old Ruth), Noah Alexander Sosnowski (12-year-old Graham) and Riley Chung (8-year-old Ruth). Spanning across years, these four actors make Graham and Ruth feel whole despite much of their growth being done offscreen.
The other biggest issue comes in its length. With a 112-minute runtime, Leterrier takes a lot of time before showing his hand. The film turns into a waiting game of sorts, and it never ends. What comes from this are a string of scenarios that feel loosely connected but never essential. While these situations are meant to be gut-wrenching or euphoric, they lack impact due to the uninspired family dynamic. As days turn to weeks and weeks to months and months to years, the tone doesn’t remain consistent either. Never being able to nail down an identity makes the overlong runtime drag even more.
Once the true scope of this story is revealed, it goes… nowhere interesting. The large-scale action that viewers are likely looking forward to comes, but not until the final act. Even then, it isn’t enough to make up for 90 minutes of boredom beforehand. Not to mention the “why?” behind it all is never completely revealed.
Trapped in a tight space, director of photography Pål Ulvik Rokseth keeps the camera focused on the characters. He typically doesn’t utilize intense close-ups, but rather medium shots to emphasize their movements while still capturing the environment around them. Adam Gough’s editing adds to the sweeping motion of the camera, transitioning from scene to scene while the footage is still shifting.
When “The Last House” does “go big,” the effects are largely impressive. Mixing practical and digital effects, the obscure aspects of the story blend in more than you might think. Leterrier isn’t afraid to show creatures in full form, either. Mixing in flowing water and rain helps to integrate them into the real world.
“The Last House” is part dystopian drama, part creature-feature horror and part family DIY project. It’s an exercise in patience that never pays off, failing to deliver satisfying answers after an uneven journey.
Rating: 2 out of 5
