Predictable and clinging to overused tropes, House at the End of the Street struggles to deliver on both horror and thriller aspects. Despite its attempts, the movie loses its footing, failing to become a compelling film in either genre.
From the title itself, a sense of déjà vu arises, hinting at the possibility that House at the End of the Street might be intentionally self-aware, perhaps a post-Scream or Cabin in the Woods style film. One might expect director Mark Tonderai to playfully acknowledge genre conventions. However, aside from a few unintentionally humorous clichés, the movie takes itself with complete seriousness, making it difficult for the audience to do the same.
The premise of this PG-13 rated movie is straightforward. A divorced mother, Sarah (Elisabeth Shue), and her teenage daughter Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) relocate from the city to a supposedly tranquil, wooded area – possibly Pennsylvania. The new home is suspiciously affordable because, as expected, a gruesome family murder occurred next door four years prior, committed by the family’s own daughter. While the title suggests a haunted house or supernatural elements, the true source of unease is the surviving son from the ill-fated family, Ryan (Max Thieriot).
Elissa, portrayed as the typical edgy teenager with a guitar, finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Ryan. Defying her mother’s warnings, a common trope in such narratives, she begins to spend time with him. Predictably, this decision proves unwise as Elissa uncovers unsettling secrets about Ryan, including the possibility that he is harboring his supposedly deceased sister in the basement. The remainder of the film follows Elissa’s predictable journey of realizing that Ryan might not be as harmless as he initially appears.
However, House at the End of the Street does offer one significant draw: Jennifer Lawrence. While there are further plot developments, revealing them would delve into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say, events take a turn for the worse, leading to a plot twist somewhat reminiscent of a classic thriller, before reaching its conclusion.
To be fair, House at the End of the Street is not entirely devoid of entertainment. It manages to produce a few genuine jump scares and some moderately surprising plot twists. However, these fleeting moments are overshadowed by predictable elements, such as the stereotypical Bumbling Cop character (Gil Bellows), and unintentionally comical scenarios. For instance, moments where viewers might find themselves audibly questioning characters’ decisions, like “Why would you enter the creepy basement of the murder house?” or noticing anachronistic details such as a character appearing to use a MySpace page, an iPhone 3G, and an iPad, which collectively feel out of place in time.
