by Henry Pham
For some reason, the film nearly reminded me of Ishana Night Shyamalan’s The Watchers. It follows a 28-year-old artist, Mina, who becomes trapped with three strangers, all of whom are stalked by mysterious creatures every night. Netflix’s The Last House follows a family of four who are suddenly sealed inside their home with no way out during a rainy day, as their internet, communication systems, and phones stop working. Their neighbors are similarly trapped, while others are stranded outside. With that, the family must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat that is keeping them trapped.
Oscar nominee Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) and Golden Globe nominee Greta Lee (Past Lives) lead the cast as Jason and Ann, a married couple raising their two children, Ruth and Graham. The children are portrayed by Riley Chung and Noah Alexander Sosnowski, and later by Emma Ho, Arden Cho, and Gabriel Chung. Moura and Lee deliver compelling performances, while the child actors handle their nuanced roles with skill. Although the children’s behavior can be frustrating at times, their portrayals remain realistic, engaging, and essential to the story.
Louis Leterrier, known for directing The Incredible Hulk and Fast X, directs and produces the film, with Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying, Love and Monsters) as screenwriter. The story offers an intriguing setup reminiscent of an M. Night Shyamalan production. While some scenes are handled with seriousness, others lack focus due to inconsistent writing. The film presents logical inconsistencies, such as the continued availability of electricity and water despite technological failures. These plot holes appear intended to heighten entertainment and suspense, but ultimately detract from the narrative.
Additionally, the plot closely resembles Ishana Night Shyamalan’s The Watchers, missing opportunities to develop a more original or suspenseful story. However, the cast delivers impressive performances, which remain a highlight. The film’s exploration of family survival is heartfelt, and it maintains a PG-13 rating. The film’s visual effects are creative, particularly in the creature design and production set pieces.
Wagner Moura and Greta Lee demonstrate family survival skills in this decent sci-fi plot in Netflix’s The Last House. It’s not terrible, but not perfect. At least we got a decent piece of entertainment that does its job, offered by Netflix, which houses many hits (including K-Pop Demon Hunters). Though it does look incredibly cinematic to my own taste, it does need more work if they want to make a good survival movie. I don’t mind watching this again, but I think this sci-fi movie is a miss for me. If you’re into survival movies, this is a decent choice. It runs about 112 minutes long, and it’s up on Netflix.
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