The new film The Home, starring Pete Davidson, opened on July 25 through Roadside Attractions, presenting a convoluted blend of horror and social commentary that fails to land effectively. Directed by James DeMonaco and co-written with Adam Cantor, the movie unfolds mainly in a dilapidated retirement home called Green Meadows, where Davidson’s character Max grapples with personal trauma while navigating eerie happenings. However, the film’s numerous clichés and an underdeveloped climate change allegory fail to engage viewers, leaving Davidson’s performance at the center of widespread dissatisfaction.
An Unconvincing Horror Lead Navigates Green Meadows
In The Home, Max, played by Pete Davidson, is a troubled artist whose life unraveled after his older brother’s suicide. Following an arrest for vandalism, Max is court-ordered to complete community service at Green Meadows, a retirement home where most of the film’s action occurs. From the start, the setting exudes a spooky atmosphere, heightened by unsettling residents such as Lou, a former Broadway actor portrayed by John Glover, and Dr. Sabian, played by Bruce Altman. The only warmly genuine character is Norma, played by Mary Beth Peil, who offers cryptic hints about the home’s hidden dangers.
Despite these elements, Davidson’s portrayal of Max fails to evoke empathy. His established screen persona—marked by a detachment that has worked in comedic roles—clashes with the emotional depth typically needed to anchor a horror film. The audience’s interest in Max’s fate remains minimal, more out of a desire for the film’s unpleasant experience to end than genuine emotional investment. This lack of connection undermines the narrative drive and leaves the character feeling hollow amidst the unfolding horror.
Overused Horror Tropes Overwhelm the Storyline
After arriving at Green Meadows, Max’s duties include menial tasks and avoiding the ominous fourth floor, reportedly housing patients needing special care. From that point, the film floods viewers with well-worn horror clichés: scurrying rats, sudden screams piercing the night, mysterious noises, and a gaunt elderly man staring vacantly out a window. These devices, rather than building suspense, become predictable and tiresome as they are employed without subtlety.
The film’s editing by Todd E. Miller, known for The Purge Forever, adopts a frantic pace with rapid cuts designed to heighten tension. Yet, repeated nightmare sequences where Max wakes violently serve more as distractions than meaningful plot progressions, further draining the narrative energy. The persistent, overwhelming sound design attempts to compensate by forcing anxiety onto the audience but ultimately adds to the fatigue.
DeMonaco’s slow build to a central twist, involving the true nature of the retirement home, hints at a potentially interesting subtext about generational conflicts and what older populations might symbolize for younger ones. However, these ideas are smothered beneath the relentless parade of genre conventions, leaving the social commentary muddled and ineffective.
Introducing a Climate Change Message Amidst Horror
As Max ventures to the forbidden fourth floor, the film shifts into a surprising climate change metaphor. There, a sterile room houses elderly residents confined to wheelchairs, while a television documentary narration discusses the futility of oil drilling. The story references “Hurricane Greta,” clearly named after activist Greta Thunberg, and younger characters accuse their elders of having “raped this planet,” attempting to draw parallels between environmental degradation and the film’s horror elements.
Despite the ambition to weave this political message into the narrative, the execution feels forced and incongruous. The pacing and tone of the horror story clash with the half-hearted ecological allegory, which lacks the subtlety or impact found in more successful films tackling similar themes, such as Don’t Look Up or First Reformed. The abruptness with which these themes are introduced undermines their credibility and further detracts from the film‘s coherence.
Violent Climax Offers Some Respite but Does Not Redeem
The film’s final act, sparked by the predicted landfall of Hurricane Greta, turns into a chaotic and bloody sequence that intensifies the horror elements. This violent rampage provides a slightly more engaging conclusion and draws loose inspiration from the style of director Panos Cosmatos’ 2018 thriller Mandy. While the climax is arguably satisfying in its adrenaline and brutality, it arrives too late to compensate for the story’s earlier weaknesses, including a muddled script, uninspired lead performance, and overreliance on formulaic scares.
The Troubled Intersection of Genre and Message in ‘The Home’
The Home represents a flawed attempt to blend psychological horror, social critique, and environmental allegory under one roof, but the result is often disjointed and exhausting. Pete Davidson’s inability to carry the film as an empathetic lead weakens the emotional core, while director James DeMonaco’s fixation on horror tropes diminishes opportunities for deeper exploration. The film’s attempt to critique generational divides and climate crisis ultimately feels tacked on and poorly integrated.
With its mixed thematic ambitions, repetitive scares, and uneven editing, The Home struggles to resonate with the audience. Although it contains glimpses of intriguing ideas and a grim, violent finale, the movie neither fully convinces as a horror piece nor succeeds as a political allegory, making it difficult to recommend beyond its curiosity value.
