A tense and emotional survival thriller about a family’s response to an inexplicable and relentless threat, it is “The Last House.” The idea of the movie – trapped in a house, with limited resources and strange sea monsters, instantly puts the audience in a high-pressure, claustrophobic atmosphere. It is a gradual process of the characters adapting their new reality, with rationing food, constructing survival systems and highlighting their resourcefulness and dwindling desperation in doing so, which feels realistic and relatable. The drama is handled masterfully, with some moments of stillness followed by explosive action – the film keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The house itself is an interesting visual element to use, given the space is so limited; how they’re using it helps to make it feel intimate and confining, which adds a layer of emotion to the film. The water slowly intrudes and the menacing animals bring a sense of menace, while the special effects instil a sense of wonder and fear. The characters are a bittersweet development, especially Jason, Ann and their children, who are struggling to keep their heart of hope and humanity alive in an increasingly hopeless situation. The gradual disclosure of what the creatures are in this narrative, as well as the gradual inundation of the world, gives the story an environmental theme, one that is not only about survival but also about reclaiming nature and the changing climate of the world.
The message that struck the deepest: hope, mercy and the spirit of what ties a family together in a time of chaos. The compassion shown to the creature is what it embodies and what the film’s core message is about: Even in the bleakest of times, empathy can be a powerful survival mechanism. Even with the inevitable elements that come with the survival genre, “The Last House” manages to do a great job of evoking emotion, thought, and a message of resilience, adaption and the future unknown.
