TL;DR – This is a film that is trying something, but it is working in a space where other contemporaries have excelled.  

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix subscription used to watch this film.

The Last House Review Introduction

Today we are looking at something that is becoming increasingly rare in modern cinema: a genuinely original film. Not adapted, not spun off, and not based on a toy from 50 years ago. Given how uncommon these projects have become, I knew I had to give The Last House a watch.

So, to set the scene, one Sunday morning a surprise rainstorm appeared on the horizon. It felt like a normal day, but then the internet failed. But even stranger was the fact that none of the doors or windows would open. That’s okay, because you can break windows, right? No, the glass cracks but doesn’t break. Now, you and everyone you know are stuck in their houses, with only the food you happened to have inside.

Contained Story

One of the many things that I did like about this film was that it is almost as if it is a bottle episode on television. Bar a couple of small moments, the entire film happens inside a two-story + attic house. That lets you play with the familiarity of the house, as your audience will have a good understanding of its geography. Also, limiting yourself to one house ratchets up the tension because you have nowhere else to go. That connects you with Ann (Greta Lee), Jason (Wagner Moura), Ruth (Riley Chung, Emma Ho, Arden Cho), and Graham (Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Gabriel Barbosa) because you can only see a couple of houses away.

Swiss Family Robinson

The other strength is the limitation of resources, and how the family overcomes it. It was interesting watching the house morph over time from a home to a survival bunker in a very similar way that we watched it happen in The Martian. Watching them modify the house for long-term survival is compelling, whether that’s growing crops from whatever seeds they can find or, even more bizarrely, fishing for food through the chimney. It is one of those films that, while not making me want to be a prepper, did make me look around and wonder how long I would last in this situation.

Never Quite Got Onboard

The biggest issue that The Last House has is that its apocalypse takes one step too far into the realm of silly, which clashes with the rest of the film playing it straight down the line serious. Everything about how they are trapped, survive, and how the film ends feels overly ridiculous to the point that it detaches you from the story and performances. This makes it harder to connect because films are working in the same thematic space, such as A Quiet Place or Finch, that nail this vibe, and you can’t help but think about them when it’s not working, or the dialogue falls flat.         

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend The Last House? Well, I would say that it’s not a bad film; indeed, there are a lot of strengths here. However, choices made in its construction hold it back from being a standout in its genre.

Have you watched The Last House? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The Last House, we would recommend Prey to you because it does play on themes of survival with a strong focus on its central protagonist.   

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Last House
Directed by – Louis Leterrier
Written by – Matthew Robinson
Music by – Yair Elazar Glotman
Cinematography by – Pål Ulvik Rokseth
Edited by – Adam Gough
Production/Distribution Companies – Chernin Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment & Netflix
Starring – Greta Lee, Wagner Moura, Riley Chung, Emma Ho, Arden Cho, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, & Gabriel Barbosa
With – Sid Edwards, Eveline Reynolds-Boison, Audrey Anderson, & Ali Asghar Shah
And – Remi, Wicket, General, Bonnie, Layla, George, Ralph, Lady, Lilo, Moose, & Annie
Rating – Australia: M;