Home Movie (II) (2008) User Reviews

Didn't get dark enough for my liking

[jtindahouse · 5/10 · 13 May 2021]

Not a lot to be said about this one unfortunately. I saw some people recommending it on a Found Footage page I follow. It was short so I decided to give it a chance. I could never really get into it though. I think Found Footage works better with the supernatural (about the only time I'll ever say anything positive about supernatural films). There was nothing here that the Found Footage concept added to, and in reality it probably took a lot away from the film. All it probably achieved was keeping the film ultra-cheap for the filmmakers.

It's not all bad here. The final sequence was reasonably well done and added a point or two to the film. Also there were one or two sequences earlier in the film that at least had me interested in what would happen next. I would've liked to see the film get a lot darker though. Found footage films have a tendency to get really dark and leave the viewer with a hopeless feeling. I never quite felt that way here. It's far from terrible, but go in with low expectations would be my advice. 5/10.

A creepy and unsettling little pov lo fi horror.

[Corpus_Vile · 7/10 · 22 October 2010]

The Poes seem the picture perfect American family.

Dad David, (Adrian Pasdar) is a Lutheran minister and devoted husband to Doctor/Mom Clare (Cady McLain). They have two 10 year old children Jack and Emily (real life siblings Austin & Amber Joy Williams), and life is good. Events such as Halloween, New Year's eve and Easter are celebrated family affairs, captured for posterity on home video. Then things start getting kinda weird. Jack and Emily are starting to act rather oddly. Not quite their usual selves. Then weird stuff starts to happen. Clare is concerned and wonders whether their children need medical treatment. David isn't so sure, and wonders if there's something evil at play in their home. Especially when the kids complain about the man in their closet. Or are the kids lying? And it's all captured via camcorder as events then take a turn for the darker side still...

I'm not going to give a review of plot developments or give any spoilers regarding this film. What I will say is that Home Movie is a pleasantly surprising little pov low budget indy horror that while having a rather slow start, then takes a turn down a dark avenue and becomes a pretty creepy and disconcerting little film indeed.

My advice is not to read of any reviews regarding the actual plot and watch it blind, and buy into the captured on camcorder premise at face value.

Then turn out the lights, have patience with a rather plodding build up-it's a home movie after all, the essence of banality- and prepare to be creeped out.

For a POV horror it thankfully doesn't go nuts with the shaky cam, with much of the film comprising of steady shots, and for a low fi film, manages to get under your skin in parts.

Overall, a solid and effective little horror film, that's worth a look. At 77 minutes, it doesn't outstay its welcome either.

There tends to be opinions on online forums that lament American horror. My answer to that is take a look through their indy scene. There's quite a few little gems to find, and Home Movie is one of them. 7/10, a very pleasant little surprise.

Lessons of the Father Not Unheeded

[evileyereviews · 7/10 · 18 October 2010]

Some body needs a vicious spanking. This disturbing tale of a family gone horribly south laments that the end is not going to be pleasant, and it certainly does not disappoint. To eschew those moments of stupidity, where the characters behave with retarded capacity, is one necessity of the viewer, for these parents absolutely blow it at times. The acting was top rate for such an endeavor, with exceptional performances by the children, creepy little things that they were. Adrian Pasdar was a sheer treat to watch- what a ham. There are some fun connections between the lessons of the father and how the children take note and put words into discommoding action, all to wicked effect. For those not charmed by home movie style flicks, best to stay away. As well, this was a chilling affair turned dark as black towards its end- stay away happy happy joy joy fans. As to the rest, this short little psycho-thriller might just be reason enough to get those tubes tied. Mercie beaucoup.

Genruk

Evil Eye Reviews

Come on.... "Unbearable Tension"????

[dschmeding · 2/10 · 2 June 2009]

Honestly... how fake can comments get?? "Home Movie" is like most of the pseudo-realistic hand-held cam movies rather dull. It takes pretty long to get to the psycho-kids go mad part and before you have to watch 2 kids not speaking a word, killing frogs, throwing stones at their dad and then killing every pet in the house. The basic idea of kids sliding into madness and crucifying the family cat, decapitating the dog and whatever else their plotting could have worked but problem is that "Home movie" is incredibly stretched and totally unbelievable.

First of all... a psychiatrist who treats her own kids on heavy meds is far from being believable (especially because both parents don't act hysterically until the end). Then the whole Home-Cam premise where either the parents film or the kids falls apart when they film themselves breaking down or the mother flees in terror but still takes the camera. It makes as little sense as the fast-forward and repeat scenes thrown in randomly (I am guessing its supposed to what the kids always watch on their TV that is blurred out) or the supernatural elements with doors opening and the kids appearing/disappearing magically on several occasions.

I didn't feel any chills from the kids acting because its inconsistent... first they don't speak at all, then they act normal, finally they take the camera with a "lets have some fun" comment and finally they are totally mad. In between two small kids overpower their parents in their sleep, tie them up and drag them through the house all with the parents knowing they are sick in the head and dangerous?? Come on... The funny thing is that I got the impression that the makers of the movie think its smart to throw in hints in the parents actions like the dragon-story, trash-bag comments and silly lock-picking lesson that re-appear in the children acting crazy. But its pretty cheap shots... if you wait for a creepy chiller. None here... rather watch "Poughkeepsie Tapes", if you want to be creeped out by kids watch "the children", if you want a creepy psychological study watch anything else. "Home Movie" is trying hard to be smart and different but ends up being boring, inconsistent, unrealistic and topping it off with a giant let-down in the end.

Just one question to the makers... who's fast forwarding and why in the scenes that were chosen. I see no logical pattern to all this no matter from where I look at it. I guess like often with that kind of movies... its better not to look too close.

A compelling study of a dysfunctional family ...

[cafm · 6/10 · 8 July 2013]

My response has a few spoilers so if you've not seen this film, here's a warning before you read on.

I quite understand why some viewers did not like Home Movie, however I actually found this film quite disturbing and very intelligently rendered. Of course there will be lots of folks who hate the film because while it is a horror film, it is not scary and refuses to explain itself in broad and excessively obvious ways. It relies more on intimation that explanation. Too many horror films use jumps and starts to compensate for a poorly scripted story and fortunately nowhere in this film is there any such pandering to horror sensationalism and clichés. Instead it relies on a really solid idea - young twin sibling who are being abused off-camera by their father become increasingly sullen and withdrawn as they refuse to participate in their parents' on-camera charade of domestic bliss and pretense of happy families.

These kids fit right into the generic "evil child" mold of super-intelligent children who are always one step ahead of adults that refuse to think the worst of their darling cherubs. Yet unlike some evil child films where the kids are just evil because the kids are just evil, Jack and Emily are given a motive for their actions, which is that their upstanding Lutheran pastor father, David, has been abusing them and getting away with it. David is, of course, so hell-bent on hiding his abuse that he tells his kids that its good to have secrets as he plays happy families on camera and constantly tries to get his kids to participate in the contrivance. Meanwhile their psychiatrist mother lives in ignorance and denial of what is really going on and is more concerned about her professional career and treating other child patients than her own children. In order to get close to her own children, she needs to treat them like patients, and then congratulates herself for "curing" them. This is quite a disturbed family and its impressive how skillfully the film achieves this without being blatantly obvious about it.

The scene where the children refuse to pray before the thanksgiving meal, with their father wearing his pastor's uniform, demonstrates the anger and resentment the children feel towards him and what kind of monster of a man he really is - ignoring their protestations and cries for help and continuing like nothing is happening. He has a compulsion to record himself being a good dad to somehow leave a record of what a nice guy he is, but as the children continue to misbehave, his (self) deception unravels. The exorcism scene is truly disturbing as he would prefer to blame Satan for his children's behavior than look more closely at himself. In the car when the mother says to the kids that they shouldn't keep secrets, Dad pipes up and says, "Secrets can be good". Warning bells! The scene where the father is preparing his sermon demonstrates how contrived his outward persona is - even the words of his sermon seem contrived and hollow. Everything about this guy is pretense and deceit. It is little wonder that the children attack a child named Christian.

The escalating levels of animal torture and mutilation, as they graduate from bugs and goldfish to increasingly larger creatures, of course point to the inevitability of the children eventually attacking their parents - it comes as no surprise, yet the film plays on our knowledge of this, using it to create a sense of dread. This film is not about trying to guess the surprise ending. There are no surprises. But it's not the "what" that makes this film interesting, it's the "why". One rarely finds probing character studies in horror films, but in Home Movie we are given just that.

"Against our better wishes, we have to keep our attempted murderer kids in the house overnight." Come on, you can do better than that...

[Phillemos · 4/10 · 10 November 2008]

I tried really hard. I wanted to like this movie so badly. There's a lot to like about it -- solid acting performances, underlying tension between the two parents, a lot of which seems to stem from the father's own abuse as a child, a slow buildup of psychotic activity by the kids leading to an uncomfortable sense of fear. But the movie's climax ruins it all. After the two kids snatch their friend and take him to their secret hideout out back, where he's bound and gagged, the father finds them and apparently the kids are charged with kidnapping and attempted murder. Then there's a cutaway scene of the two parents are sitting in front of the fireplace. They tell the camera that, because it's Easter Sunday, "Against our better wishes," the police are allowing the kids to stay at home until their arraignment the following morning. Right there, I turned to my friend and we both said, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." I don't care whether it's Easter, your birthday or Christmas, the police aren't going to let you stay at home if you're facing attempted murder charges because you just wrapped a classmate in trash bags, tied him up and tortured him, even if you're a kid. And of course, this leads to the kids systematically terrorizing, and, seemingly, murdering their father and torturing their mother, who presumably is on death's doorstep herself as the movie ends. (Which brings up another problem; by the time the movie ends it's clearly the following morning, so shouldn't the police be back by now to take the kids to their court hearing?) The attacking-the-parents plot line is fine. I expected that was going to happen at the end. I wanted it to happen. But surely the directors can come up with a better mechanism to get to the climactic conclusion than this. While there's a lot to like here, the lazy writing runs it all. A disappointing 4.

Creepy Children Movie - Really Creepy

[timothygartin · 7/10 · 1 December 2019]

This is a really disturbing movie. The two children who are at the center of the story are some first grade psychos. I love the story that the mom and dad cannot accept the nature of their kids all the way to the end of the movie.

All performances are top notch and the actors really sell the story. The gore is understated but the chills are great. This is a really good one.

A Mixed Up Mess Without Modivation

[chicagopoetry · 4/10 · 19 February 2009]

Ever since Blair Witch Project these movies have been popping up all over the place shot entirely with a shaky hand-held camera. The key to making these movies believable is the justification for everything being filmed in the first place. In Quaratine a news crew was trapped in a building full of rabid maniacs, so it made sense that everything was being filmed. In Cloverfield we had to stretch our imagination a bit farther when someone with a camera kept filming all through an alien invasion, but the high quality special effects helped us suspend our disbelief. In Home Movie, the premise starts out fine--a family's holiday home movies slowly tell the tale of demented animal killing children--but sadly instead of keeping it a real story about a dysfunctional family it slips into the psycho horror genre without much explanation as to motivation. At one point we are teased with the idea that maybe the kids are abused and that's why they are acting the way they are acting, but other than a terribly acted exorcism scene during which their drunken preacher dad ties them up and drenches them with holy water, that plot twists goes nowhere. Supposedly their mother is a child psychiatrist but doesn't even recognize her own children's problems or what to do about their behavior other than drugging them with a cocktail of anti-depressants. And we're suppose to believe all of this was being filmed by one family member or the other with the handy dandy camcorder. At times we don't even know who is suppose to be holding the camera. At other times the camera rewinds and replays: huh? And at other times there is suddenly a snowy picture waving around for effect, never mind that cameras don't do that when you turn them on or off. It all ends up being a jumbled mess and if you watch this it will be a long hour and fifteen minutes waiting for something to happen, and you will be let down by the typical tortured screaming woman running through the woods finale.

The steak is BURNT!!

[DanPino · 6/10 · 19 November 2009]

This review will contain some spoilers but you will be warned in advance, in case you want to skip over them.

Now, it seems that the jury is out on this film as people either seem to absolutely HATE it or absolutely LOVE it. Here's my take…

This film does hold much merit. It is a fresh concept and the story is creative. The presentation is unique (Holiday logging via video camera). There is quality acting (I enjoyed the playful father character). The horror does not rely on excessive gore or sudden 'jumps'. In other words, the foundation for a potentially great horror movie is present. There are also some very clever clues along the way that tie together nicely in the end. The types of clues that you would think about after and say "Oh yeaaa!"…

*Spoilers alert* For example: 1) the story about the dragon that appears to be a child, but ends up being something much worse. The dragon wears a paper bag on its head before it feast on humans. You'll see the children wearing paper bags in both the final scene and in the scene where they were about to 'feast' on their school buddy. 2) Another clever clue is when the son is raking leaves and the father tells him "today's lesson: dead things go in garbage bags" (referring to the dead bug). In the final scene we see the soon-to-be-dead parents in these same garbage bags, tied to a table. *End spoiler*

These clever clues don't serve to necessary further the story, they are purely a nice touch…. like a fine wine that matches perfect with a wonderful steak dinner.

Now, the problem with this movie is that the steak is BURNT. As mentioned, the foundation (steak) for a solid horror flick is present. But there are simply too many annoyances (BURNT!) with the story that you are successfully pulled from the experience. I can replay the final scene in my head, and IMAGINE myself being terrified by it. However, when I actually experienced this final scene, when I was watching it on screen, I didn't even flinch. I wasn't terrified, and this was because I wasn't engaged in the action. When watching one of this 'home video' type of films (Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity), it is crucial that you buy into the experience, you have to put yourself in their shoes; you have to relate…or it doesn't work. Home Movie fails at this. Mainly because characters choices don't make sense or things that happen aren't possible, and you're sitting there wondering "wtf?"

*Spoiler alert* Here are some of the annoyances: 1) Your kids tie you up, beat you, drag you downstairs, tie you to a chair, force-feed you but you manage to untie yourself. Are you going to untie your husband next? Or are you going to wander through the house alone to get the baseball bat. No one on this planet is NOT going to untie their husband first and venture off alone. Are you kidding me? 2) How are two nine year olds able to bond two sleeping parents with tension-straps without waking them up? I can forgive everything after this point, like the force-feeding, or the fact that the kids had the strength to drag them downstairs. But seriously? How could they tie them without waking them, and with TENSION STRAPS. They would have to be epically tight so stop them from wiggling free. They WOULD have woken up, it's not possible. 3) So the mom has wandered a mile from the house in the middle of the night. A nine year old plans to drag her home…in a WAGON. Have you tried pulling a WAGON in a FOREST? You're better off just dragging her. But somehow a nine year old kid is able to drag a waggon with an adult in it, through a forest, WITH ONE ARM, because he is holding a camera with the other. No effing way. *Spoiler end*

The potential is there, but they fail in the details. By the time the movie ends, you don't buy it, so you can't relate. They've lost you… so there is no shock, and effectively, no terror. Had they not failed in the details, we would have had a very good horror movie, with clever clues that would entice us to watch it again and again.

Poor attempt

[hauntme · 2/10 · 5 August 2010]

I will start this review as positively as I can manage. The genre of documentary, POV, consumer-grade, hand held video films is one of my favorites. It is a direction cinema as art should be taking. Within these films, the fact that there are directors and actors involved in production is suspended. This method sustains a kernel of truth which allows for incredible levels of immersion and flow.

Forgive me since I am reviewing this film from memory.

This film begins with the director's Disneyland fantasy of an enthusiastic, life loving couple. The parents here are self absorbed and constantly inviting the camera into their painful attempts at enjoyment. They are caricatures, completely without wit or realism. The fact that the producer says in the extras that his 1st task was to avoid this result is evidence of the complete lack of rigor that went into the film.

This product is way too glossy and hollow...the director allowing extra financing and the inept producer on helm completely destroyed whatever vision he had.

Due to boredom I almost missed the key scene for the story arc: the bedtime dragon story. I did not bemoan it...pitiful writing

I was rolling on the floor when the father (who is a priest for inexplicable reasons) start his chants and exorcisms. Predictable, unbelievable...the script and production on this was constantly tearing me away from the movie.

Many scenes have difficultly explaining for the presence of the camera...aftermath diaries or clues would have been sufficient instead of filming every detail like an undergrad film student

From the beginning I was on the side of the children. Like them, the viewer is left dissociated from the entire mess and wanting revenge on the blind, stupid, and raving spectacle in front of them.

Very disturbing, marvelous low-budget horror thriller

[Naneaux · 9/10 · 12 August 2008]

After I watched this, my sleep was disturbed for several nights running. Much more interesting than any teen slasher pic you've seen, this descent into every parent's nightmare has a solid script, is full of top-notch acting from all the players, and the kind of psychological tension that makes you hold your breath. Add a big twist at the end and you've got an evening at the movies that you'll be talking about with your date for some time to come. I'd also like to say that the young Williams children, who play the roles of "Emily" and "Jack" are particularly effective.

This show is slated for airing on IFC soon, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves.

Another Good Found Footage Film

[ShotgunHemingway · 7/10 · 24 March 2010]

Released at the beginning of the Second Found Footage Wave (my own moniker), Home Movie is just that - a found footage film. But unlike something like Cloverfield, Home Movie is a very, very small film that centers around a family in upstate New York. The family, the father (a priest - played by Adrian Pasdar or, as I know him, Caleb from Near Dark) the mother (a psychiatrist), and two kids, have moved to the rural countryside in order to ease the children's declining mental states.

I don't know how much of a spoiler it is to say that this is a killer kid film, as you can probably gather that by looking at the back of the box. And, let's be honest, who doesn't love killer kid films? From the Bad Seed to Who Can Kill a Child? to The Good Son, killer kid flicks are just great. Mine is still just shy of three months old, so I don't have to worry too much about him, but I wonder if I'll still feel this way when he gets a little older...old enough to wield, say, a hammer?

Anyway, so the two little freakish kids wind up being just a little bit more malevolent than the parents ever thought. That's all well and good, but my absolute favorite part of the film is the filmmaker's propensity to wrap everything up very nicely. At the end of the film (LAST WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD) when the kids finally best old' mom and pop, they put to use every bit of advice that the dad had given them in attempts to "normalize" them. Here is a list of things that I picked up on that were originally taught to the kids by the parents, and then turned around on them to be used for their demise:

Trash bags for dead things. The dragon/paper mask story. The picking of the locks. The tying of the knots. The ability of the pills to induce comas. The use of a baseball bat.

Overall, it's an interesting film. That's not to say it's fantastic or anything. The acting is pretty flat, at times it's not lean enough to keep you from wanting to hit fast-forward, and sometimes the camera work can get on your nerves. It's definitely not the best found-footage movie (I'd give that title to Spain's rec), but it is an entertaining, and deeply interesting piece that works, for the most part, on all the levels that it attempts to. It's definitely recommended viewing and a nice find in the onslaught of crappy horror that's produced today.

Muddled found footage horror with irritating characters

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 17 August 2016]

HOME MOVIE is, as the title would suggest, a found footage horror film although the horror elements are rather slight and this feels more like a drama about a dysfunctional family. There are elements of other horror films like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY here although it's worth noting that HOME MOVIE is a relatively early entry in the genre before its popularity really took off.

The storyline is straightforward, about your typical American nuclear family (husband, wife, son, and daughter) recording family events on their new video camera. Unfortunately for them it soon transpires that their children are rather malevolent, and when you see that the family owns numerous pets you get an idea of where this is going. Sadly, the execution is very poor, amateurish in fact, and the British horror film THE CHILDREN tackled the same subject matter in a much more involving and traditional way.

The main problem I had with HOME MOVIE is that the characters are so annoying. It seems that some or all of the dialogue was ad-libbed because characters just ramble on forever about irrelevant stuff. The husband is particularly irritating and most viewers will want to knock his block off after about five minutes. In addition, the camera editing and stylistics are too distracting, with random shaking and loud noises obscuring what would be clear-cut incidents. I didn't care for this film at all.

You've got to be kidding.

[kaitlynkriley · 1/10 · 21 April 2011]

The positive reviews for this turd are clearly written by shills. The acting is abominable. The characterizations are incredibly inconsistent and not the least bit real. I laughed out loud when the dad showed up in a priest's collar! WTF?!?! This douchey moron who farts through the whole movie and treats his kids like crap is a man of the cloth?? And I'd love to get an actual count of the number of fart jokes they use. FART JOKES!!! What??!!?! And the mom is DOCTOR mom, child psychiatrist, but she had the most ludicrously f-ed up kids on earth and doesn't do anything about it until they're actually trying to kill HER. And there's NO STORY. It's just random, meaningless clips strung together and then the kids gradually do weirder (albeit a totally contrived type of 'weird') things. But the kids don't go from normal, happy kids to supernatural freaks. They go from weirdos to violent weirdos. It's pitiful. It's like a closet-gay jock with a drinking problem made this movie. And the "found footage" aspect is pointless, because they don't stick to the "rules" of found footage. What a relentless waste of time.

Better than you'd think

[wrathmanomega · 7/10 · 19 December 2013]

This movie really caught me off guard. On the surface it seems like one of those generic cheap horror movies with kids doing creepy things to seem creepy, all shot on a normal camera to make the movie seem more real, however this movie has a certain tone and pacing which really captures your attention rather than being slow and dull.

Watching through this movie, I kept thinking it would be some generic ending. I assumed that all the creepy things the kids did, was for no other reason than the director thought they would be eerie, with no real connection other than the kids were possessed by demons. It wasn't until I finished the movie and started thinking about it did it really scare me and haunt me, because I started connecting the events and realizing that they all led up to the conclusion, that the kids were acting on plans and ambitions that they had laid out, and that this all began from an idea given to them by the fathers story.

If you're looking for a horror movie full of jump scares and ending with a happy ending, this isn't the movie to watch. If you want something that will provide a consistent creepy atmosphere, and legitimately keep you up at night this is a great title for that

Bad biology

[Shadowplayed · 5/10 · 15 April 2017]

I was not a fan of this film first time around, and while it improved upon rewatch, there are things that irked me as they would any viewer eager to see some intelligent and sane adult's reaction to...well, occurrences as they were presented.

Unlike some reviewers I do NOT believe molestation has taken place in this film, nor there are supernatural forces at work, rather a case of rotten apples. 2 for 2, as far-fetched as it sounds. But, these are twins, with their weird little ways and enclosed little world, so there you go.

Seriously, how oblivious parents can be? From overbearing, over-enthusiastic father - the pastor, to child psychiatrist of a mom who does not recognize her kids are unwell, then extremely violent, and when she does just does not address it properly? The fact we have two opposing factors here - science vs religion was never properly used, eventually tackled in a shallow manner, shall we exorcise them or fill them up with pills? None of those approaches worked, cause parents in this film haven't the slightest idea how to deal with their kids' alarming behavioral problem.

It could have helped it we had some prospect of how the kids acted before moving into the house. Have they always been this weird, or did it happen suddenly, and unexpectedly? Since parents show no reaction to their kids' lack of human reaction I'm inclined to think they'd always been a couple of weirdos, it's just they got fed up with the parents and decided to put a stop to their annoying, happy-go-lucky holiday routine.

I won't go into tech aspects, basically, found footage tropes are present as expected, sometimes little annoying but for the fans of subgenre shouldn't be too much of an obstacle. My bigger gripe is the story (basic idea is fine) and how far fetched many parts of it actually were.

Smart but pulls its punches

[begob · 6/10 · 16 November 2015]

A couple of naive, enthusiastic parents gradually admit there's something creepy about their twin children, so they try to fix the problem through their opposing beliefs. Will it go the way they hope?

Interesting found footage horror. All the acting is fine - the tension between the parents probably should have come earlier and more subtly - camera not too shaky, and the pace is good. We have the usual woodland isolation, camera lights peering through the dark, ordinary people going off in a huff, and the startling discovery of scary things. But it's not The Blair Witch Project.

The extra strength is that it raises issues of faith and science, and the question whether one is more effective than the other, but without giving an answer. Also there's a clever switch of the point of view in the climax. The weakness is the film-makers shied away from delivering real frights, every time just fading out or not carrying through. Which is a pity. And full throated screaming is always effective in this genre, but too restrained this time.

Overall, not enough scares to make it more than interesting, but I'm sure this would make a great full-production horror.

unbearable rubbish

[rikkigawthorpe85 · 2/10 · 25 May 2009]

unbearable tension more like umberable rubbish, after an overall mark of 6.7, i sat down to watch this movie but wish I never, the acting was berable, but the story was just rubbish their was no development or really any explanation, to the children's behaviour. I was sat their wondering more what the hell was going on, it just bored me to tears. As a big fan of horror it just didn't do anything for me, their was no tension or suspense. And the end just had loop holes. I you won't to watch a better film with a same sort of storyline, but better acting with more suspense and kills watch the children. Cause this one was bad leave the documentary style filming alone it's been done now with Blairwitch which I thought was a brilliant movie.

Quality Found Footage

[polarbear-28839 · 7/10 · 30 October 2021]

I was thrilled to see that light in the loafers beta male get it. The wife was a sexy piece. Those psycho kids were awesome.

I LOL throughout the whole 2nd half.

One of the worst movies I have ever seen.

[gfouty2001 · 1/10 · 28 October 2013]

Don't believe any of the good reviews on here. They obviously are involved in the movie somehow.

I have seen a lot of stupid, boring movies and this is one of the worst I have ever seen.

This movie starts off slow and never picks up. I kept watching thinking "it's got to get better right". Never happened.

You don't care about anyone it the movie. There is no tension. There is no action. Not at any time do you think to yourself "this could be someone's home movie". It is just bad.

I buy dvds then watch them. I've been doing it for at least 10+ years now and have a couple thousand dvds and blurays. In all that time and with as many bad movies I have kept there are about 3 or 4 movies that, after watching them, I hate so much that I just throw away. This is one of those movies.

More effective than most films of this type.

[paragonofanimals · 10/10 · 21 September 2009]

Home Movie takes what you've seen done many times before in the hand held horror genre and turns it on it's head. What makes this film so different is that it has a strong and engaging character based story about a family of four doing their best to live the American dream and pairs it with some unsettling images and a real sense of dread throughout. I view this film as The Shining meets The Omen meets The Blair Witch Project. This is the type of film that stuck with me days after I watched it. The effectiveness of this film has a lot to do with how good the acting is. They don't overact or play it up for the camera, which makes it feel like your taking a genuine peek into life of this family.

Bottom Line: This is a slow burning and unsettling horror film without the gimmick or stupidity you normally get with films of this type. I highly suggest it.

It was ok

[tjstins · 6/10 · 4 September 2023]

Title: "Home Movie" (2008)

"Home Movie" is a haunting and unnerving psychological thriller that delves into the depths of domestic horror. Directed by Christopher Denham, this film takes a unique approach by presenting the story entirely through home video footage captured by a seemingly ordinary family.

The film follows the Poe family, consisting of parents David (played by Adrian Pasdar) and Clare (played by Cady McClain), along with their two young children, Jack (played by Austin Williams) and Emily (played by Amber Joy Williams). The family's idyllic facade begins to crumble as the camera captures disturbing and increasingly sinister behaviors exhibited by the children. As their actions escalate, the line between innocence and malevolence becomes blurred, leaving the parents grappling with their worst fears and questioning their own sanity.

The performances in "Home Movie" are commendable, particularly from the young actors portraying Jack and Emily. Their ability to convey the duality of innocence and darkness is nothing short of remarkable. Adrian Pasdar, despite his acting skills, seems somewhat unconvincing in the role of a pastor. His portrayal includes a very strange exorcism scene that feels out of place and lacks authenticity. On the other hand, Cady McClain delivers a somewhat believable performance as a psychiatrist. However, the way she becomes the family's psychiatrist and her questionable methods of administering medication to the children appear to be both unrealistic and illegal, seemingly forced to fit the storyline.

"Home Movie" initially has a slow start and, in my opinion, is somewhat predictable. However, this deliberate pacing allows for a deeper immersion in the story, giving viewers ample time to contemplate their own reactions and ponder what they would do if faced with a similar situation involving their own child. As the tension gradually escalates, the film takes a more unsettling turn, adding an extra layer of creepiness that enhances the overall experience.

"Home Movie" delves into the unsettling concept of hidden darkness within a seemingly idyllic family dynamic. The film effectively raises important questions about the interplay between inherent traits and environmental influences, as well as the intricate challenges of parenthood. It forces viewers to confront the disturbing notion that evil can manifest unexpectedly and disrupt the facade of innocence.while "Home Movie" effectively examines the sinister undercurrents within family life and prompts thought-provoking questions, it falls short in terms of story development surrounding the parents and the believability of their characters. These factors prevent the film from fully realizing its potential and may detract from the overall viewing experience.

In conclusion, "Home Movie" may have its flaws, but I would still recommend giving it a try. Despite its shortcomings, the film's relatively short duration ensures that it doesn't overstay its welcome, and I, for one, don't regret watching it. In fact, I might even consider revisiting it in the future. Moreover, I must commend the young actors who delivered impressive performances. Their talent and dedication truly shone through, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the story. So, if you're in the mood for a unique and unsettling cinematic experience, "Home Movie" is definitely worth a watch.

Poor mockumentary

[atinder · 3/10 · 1 April 2012]

This movie start of with Family recording special days of year like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

There Are two really nasty kids in the movie, When the kids do something wrong, nothing is really done about it!

I Did not find this movie entertaining at all , I Fast forward some scenes, cause it was getting really boring and people were just talking none stop, with nothing really happens at all.

After the very long build, it over a Hour long Build for one scenes that really got interesting into the movie and then the Credits roll.

First words that came out of my mouth was "Is that it?"

The kids was really nasty in the movie but I did not find them scary at all.

The acting was decent from the whole cast.

3 out of 10.

Its bad! Its stupid and dear heavens the camera-work is shaky

[ntse-kaambl · 2/10 · 19 December 2015]

Decided to give this one a go after reading a pretty positive review here on IMDb. My thoughts on the film is far more negative however.

It is filmed in a Blair Witch style with shaky cameras filmed by the actors themselves in a documentary style fashion. Its not believable done however, These idiots seem to be thinking more about the camera than themselves in the most absurd situations. Storywise i has some interesting aspects going on but the en result is just horrible, the script would seriously have needed someone more talented to check it out and fix up the worse parts. The children are horrible actors and it just feels fake the entire movie through.

The movie is a waste of time and i cant recommend it to anyone really, It is a shame because with "classic" camera-work and a bit of touching up on the script it could have been pretty decent.

Shite movie.

When did they....?

[songod-95003 · 7/10 · 22 December 2023]

At the close to end the mother says "You drugged us!?" after seeing the boiling pot of tomato sauce and the crunched up mix of pills. But when did this happen?

At no point did we see the kids feed spoonfuls of the sauce to the comatose parents or awake parents or any such action.

Other than that this is a fine found footage film.

It is very evident something is seriously wrong with the children from the beginning. Also, it is hinted in dialog that the kids did something at their former city school that made the family move out into the middle of nowhere. No details are given but it establishes that the problems began before moving to the house; making the father's assertions that the house is "possessing them" inaccurate.