MOVIE REVIEW: HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET

A teenager (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother (Elisabeth Shue) move to a new town and make a gruesome discovery about the house next door in this tale of terror from Hush director Mark Tonderai. Shortly after learning that the neighboring house was recently the scene of a horrific double homicide, the curious teen forges a tender friendship with the boy who cheated death (Max Thieriot) on that fateful night. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Mark Tonderai

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, Max Thieriot, Gil Bellows, Nolan Funk.

Release Date: Sep 21, 2012

Rated PG-13 for Intense sequences of violence and terror, thematic elements, language, some teen partying and brief drug material

Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.

Genres: Suspense/Thriller

Review:

It helps to know that Jennifer Lawrence filmed House at the End of the Street before Winter’s Bone was released and her star began it’s impressive rise. Knowing that explains why she’d be involved in such a terrible production. House at the End of the Street misfires on pretty much every level, it’s terribly scripted, flatly acted and clumsily directed. Director Mark Tonderai is more concerned with unnecessary camera movement such as using shaky cam during standard conversations and capturing Lawrence’s assets via a series of borderline gratuitous shots throughout. Worse of all he moves the story along at a terribly awkward pace, never building any suspense and forgetting to deliver any actual scares. This is all topped of with a liberal dose of clichéd horror movie logic along with a nonsensical plot and motivations. It leaves you disinterested and waiting the ending which doesn’t come quick enough.

F