A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Last House”. (2026, 3*, 12A).
Recently released on Netflix, The Last House is an interesting – if slightly bonkers – slice of Sci Fi. There are moments of real entertainment, as you might expect from the varied pedigree of the creators: the director Louis Leterrier gave us such varied fare as Transporter 2, Grimsby, TV’s Lupin and Fast X; and the writer Matthew Robinson has given us The Invention of Lying (with Ricky Gervais), Dora and the Lost City of Gold and the recent, quirky Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. But – matching the thoughts I have of this with some of that previous output – it tends to have elements that disappointed me too.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
A family of four, together with – it seems – the rest of the world, are suddenly sealed in their houses through an outburst of ‘magic rain’. Every attempt at escape leads to frustration. Not that escape seems an entirely sensible option, since terrifying creatures lurk in the rainy shadows.
Certification:
UK: 12; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC website: “Horror, sex references, language, violence, drug misuse.”)
Talent:
Starring: Greta Lee, Wagner Moura, Riley Chung, Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Emma Ho, Gabriel Barbosa, Arden Cho.
Directed by: Louis Leterrier.
Written by: Matthew Robinson.
Running Time: 1h 52m.
Review:
Positives:
- There are many similarities between this film and the current cinema release The End of Oak Street. We are in a suburban environment, with a family of four and a dog and eerie things are happening. The ‘things happening’ are only slightly more bonkers in this case than on Oak Street: the process by which ‘special rain’ manages to lock doors and windows and seals holes made in walls (but not the chimney!) requires a significant leap of faith. But – hey – let’s go with it. The positive with this “what if” is that it is, at least, an innovative concept that we’ve not seen before. And you are always coming up with the satisfying realisation of potential outcomes for the family – and their neighbours – just before they occur to them.
- Wagner Moura (Oscar-nominated of course for The Secret Agent) and Greta Lee (Golden Globe-nominated for Past Lives) really apply some star power to their roles. I thought they were superb together and I really can’t wait to see Moura in other productions (he has six ‘future’ projects currently on the slate). Their diversity adds to the believability of them as a couple: more so, it has to be said, than Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor in The End of Oak Street. And they make thie intensity of the family dynamic as the stress builds really intriguing.
- The ingenuity of Jason (Moura) in his survival techniques, particularly with his “chimney fishing” contraptions is entertaining. (Although my credibility about them working as shown – always, for example, falling the same way out of the chimney and always being able to be retrieved without getting stuck – was again stretched!)
Negatives:
- The film veers into Home Alone parody in its final reel, with the same questions being raised…. how did Kevin know that Harry and Marv were going to do all the things they did!
- The film’s world-building is incomplete and confusing. The protagonists appear to be few in number: if the incident had been shown to be ‘local’ (in a sort of Under the Dome way) then it might have worked. But as it is…
- The film’s ending – no spoilers – is really trite and frankly unbelievable: a real let-down (with a voiceover – yuck! – to boot). That probably took a whole star off for me.
- Animal lovers will really struggle with this one, as noted under “Triggers” below.
Triggers
Slight spoilers ahead! I know how much animal distress can upset some viewers so for those vulnerable to such feelings, this film has a big red flag. YET AGAIN this film requires an honorary mention on doesthedogdie.com. (I make that the SEVENTH major film this year – Die My Love, Sirāt, Shelter, Evil Dead Burn, The Last Viking and The Odyssey – that I’ve needed to issue that warning on. It’s been a tough year for our canine friends.) But this doesn’t stop at the dog: we have a menagerie of animal deaths depicted here, including foxes, skunks, rabbits, racoons and squirrels.
Summary Thoughts:
A pretty decent attempt at an innovative Sci-Fi film that really fumbled the ball in the last reel. Which is a real shame, since I thought even though the overall concept was bonkers, this one had a lot of promise.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxgaz2Zp1k.
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