The Last House

A new arrival to Netflix, <I>The Last House</i> sounds excellent on paper and looks beautiful on screen, but becomes a poorly-executed, drawn-out sci-fi film with no answers.

In the film, we watch a family (and their neighbors) take shelter in their homes as a terrible storm approaches, but what happens next is where the real terror begins - They become sealed in their homes. Something in the rain causes them to not be able to open all doors and windows, with no communication to the outside world. So, what do they do? They carry on with their lives.

While the first half of the film introduces us to the family, along with their strengths and weaknesses, we are given various perspectives of what's happening outside, where it rains daily and wildlife is flourishing. As supplies begin to dwindle (and this family knows absolutely nothing about conserving food or basically anything in general), they begin to adapt, saving seeds and rationing food, and become creative in how they can capture water, grow plants, and trap animals. Then, the second half comes.

After a number of years being trapped in their home with still no form of escape, the outside creatures become more present. At times, it's like they're playing with their food with their small taunts, but it's not effective as their true purpose is never revealed (but they are killing people).

Now, the ending. We're not given any answers at all as to what these creatures are (are they from the bottom of the unexplored ocean? How did they use the rain to seal people in their homes? How are they able to open and lock doors?). It's also quite laughable. Throughout this film, given what this family and others experienced, you expect a solid ending that wraps things up. Nope, doesn't happen.

The film had promise. Unfortunately, it just sinks under water fast, drowning with its potential.

<B>Film setup</b>: I watched <I>The Last House</i> with an LG OLED G6 TV in Filmmaker Mode. Given it's a new release, and the film's mix between color and darkness, it was a job well done.