From the twisted mind that brought us The Purge franchise, James DeMonaco returns with a new flavor of psychological horror that trades political dystopia for geriatric dread. The Home follows graffiti artist Max (Davidson), who works at a retirement home as part of his court-ordered community service. It’s supposed to be a fresh start for this troubled twentysomething still reeling from his foster brother’s death. There’s just one cardinal rule: never go to the fourth floor.
You know how that goes in horror movies.
Pete Davidson’s Dark Turn
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Pete Davidson in a leading horror role. The SNL comedian has already dipped his toes into genre waters with Bodies Bodies Bodies, but The Home pushes him into dramatically darker territory. The film features Davidson as a young man dealing with community service in a retirement facility, only to discover there’s more than meets the eye, and reviewers note this is one of his stronger dramatic performances. He portrays Max as nonchalant and world-weary, a young man grieving his brother while trying to navigate a second chance that feels anything but normal.
The Creep Factor: Slow Burn to Blood Bath
DeMonaco aimed to capture the spine-chilling eeriness of 70’s horror, where suspense simmers and ultimately erupts into glorious chaos. The first half moves deliberately, building atmosphere through small unsettling details: locked doors that won’t stay locked, screams echoing through hallways that the staff dismisses, and residents who seem far too energetic for their age. Max befriends the elderly residents, particularly one who seems genuinely kind—until she falls from the building and dies impaled on the fence in a shocking moment that changes everything.
That slow-burn approach divides audiences. Some find the pacing tedious, while others appreciate the mounting psychological pressure. But everyone seems to agree on one thing: the final 15 minutes are absolutely bonkers.
The Twist: Youth-Draining Cult Horror
Without spoiling too much, let’s just say the fourth floor holds secrets far more disturbing than neglected elderly patients. The staff and residents extract fluid from foster children’s eyes that extends their lives, with Max’s foster parents providing the victims. The revelation connects to Max’s own tragic past in ways that make the horror deeply personal. His brother’s “suicide”? Staged. The friendly resident who died? Murdered for feeling guilty about exploiting Max.
It’s a wild premise that swings for the fences—youth harvesting through ritualistic means, foster care corruption, and body horror all colliding in one twisted conspiracy. Whether it lands depends entirely on your appetite for outlandish horror concepts.
The Blood-Soaked Finale
DeMonaco promised an epic, blood-soaked finale, and he delivers. The climax transforms from psychological thriller to hyperviolent chaos, with Max fighting for survival against the cult of immortality-seeking residents and staff. It’s messy, it’s brutal, and it’s the kind of cathartic violence that either redeems the slow build-up or feels too little too late, depending on your patience threshold. One reviewer noted the ending will make even jaded horror fans feel young again—which is darkly ironic given the plot.
The Verdict: Divisive but Daring
The Home has sparked wildly mixed reactions. The film drowns its intriguing premise in muddled storytelling, illogical twists, and lifeless performances, resulting in a frustrating and tensionless mess, according to critics. Some call it brain-dead horror with cheap jumpscares and incoherent logic. The Roger Ebert review was particularly scathing, suggesting it might be one of the worst films of the year.
But here’s the thing: plenty of viewers had a blast with it. The audience response skews more positive, with many praising the unique premise, Davidson’s performance, and that gloriously unhinged finale. It’s the kind of movie that works better when you embrace its absurdity rather than scrutinize its logic. The concept of elderly people harvesting youth from foster kids is so delightfully unhinged that it achieves a certain campy appeal.
Should You Visit The Home?
Watch it if you enjoy:
- Psychological horror that goes completely off the rails
- Pete Davidson showing unexpected dramatic range
- Slow-burn setups that explode into violence
- Retirement home horror (a surprisingly robust subgenre)
- Twists that prioritize shock over logic
Skip it if you need:
- Tight, logical storytelling
- Subtle, understated horror
- A film that takes itself seriously throughout
- Jump scares that aren’t telegraphed from three scenes away
Final Thoughts
The Home uses horror to tell a human story about fear, kindness and redemption. At its core, beneath the youth-draining cult and impaled elderly residents, there’s a story about a troubled young man seeking redemption and finding unexpected connections with people society has cast aside. That emotional grounding gives the horror stakes weight—at least until the plot spirals into bonkers territory.
Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. Is it the disaster some critics claim? Also no. The Home exists in that fascinating middle ground where ambition exceeds execution, but the sheer audacity of its premise makes it worth discussing. It’s messy, illogical, and divisive—which might be exactly what makes it memorable in a year of safe, formulaic horror.
Have you visited The Home? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Did the ending redeem the slow burn, or did you check out long before the blood started flowing? Let’s discuss this deeply weird little horror film.
Rating: 4 out of 5