The Last House Review

The Last House premiered on Netflix on August 7 in the form of a disjointed, tonally inconsistent film. Director Louis Leterrier's The Last House follows a family of four, Jason Delgado (Wagner Moura), Riley Delgado (Greta Lee), their elder son Graham (Noah Alexander Sosnowski), and younger daughter Ruth (Riley Chung), who are suddenly trapped indoors after their doors and windows fail to open.

The movie rapidly shifts between genres, with an editing style that feels disorienting and makes the plot move at breakneck speed. Initially, the film presents the Delgados' life, with Jason lamenting his catch of the day and a seemingly loving marriage to Riley. However, the movie quickly discards any potential drama, as the family suddenly discovers that their neighbors are experiencing the same issue.

The cause of this predicament remains unclear, with the narrative relying on supernatural elements and environmental cues to generate intrigue, rather than a gradual buildup or a sense of discovery. As the days turn into weeks, the Delgados grapple with their situation, which alternates between feeling like a lockdown scenario, a survivalist thriller, and something else entirely.

This rapid metamorphosis feels awkward, as dramatic beats lack the necessary time to breathe, making the movie seem rushed. Despite its nearly two-hour running time, The Last House feels overly compressed, with characters reacting intensely and melodramatically to events without proper context. Wagner Moura and Greta Lee deliver strong performances, but their characters are turned into melodramatic sideshow characters who go from passive to hysterical in an instant.

The film attempts to explore heavy moral themes, but often resorts to clumsy narration or contrived flashbacks to illustrate point-of-view dilemmas. While Leterrier's previous works have at least maintained a sense of coherence, The Last House suffers from a lack of focus, feeling like a haphazard assembly of disparate elements and ideas, resulting in a final product that is ultimately disappointing.