The Home is a new psychological horror premiering in theaters this weekend. Directed by James DeMonaco and co-written by DeMonaco & Adam Cantor, the film stars Pete Davidson, John Glover, and Bruce Altman. A rebellious twentysomething is sentenced to community service at a quiet retirement home. The residents on the fourth floor are strictly off-limits, said to require “special care.” As his suspicions grow and he digs deeper, he uncovers a chilling secret that puts both the residents’ lives and his own in grave danger.

I first heard about this a couple of months ago through an email. Pete Davidson is sort of hit or miss, but him starring in a more dramatic role, plus that poster alone piqued my interest. Surprisingly, I never once saw a trailer. If I am able to miss out on a single trailer, I am even more interested, because I am going in completely blind. Ironically, I received a digital screener for the film the exact same day the mystery screenings were going on. I was initially going to go, because I thought it was going to be Together, but I wasn’t feeling it, so I didn’t go. I have never been happier with skipping out on a movie.

Right from the film’s opening minutes, I could tell something was off from the pacing to the overall look to the performances. It’s immediately a mess. We get some of the most shoehorned backstory I have ever seen with incredibly messy exposition. From there, the film tries to lean into the weirdness of the story without saying anything new at all. While DeMonaco has pure intentions with the film, they are never fully realized. The film is all just one carbon copy of movies like The Substance, Shutter Island, and Get Out. We’ve seen it all before. This one does nothing to reinvent the wheel.

At 95 minutes, the film moves at a slow pace. Instead of building tension, it builds boredom as you wait around for a reveal that you don’t care for, because you never care about anything else between the story and the characters. There are moments of horror like elements throughout that might satisfy horror fans with its practical effects. To me, I couldn’t understand why we needed those scenes. It felt like they were only added to remind you this is a horror movie.

Say what you will about Pete Davidson, but I can admire any actor trying to expand their horizons beyond their typical niche. There was never a single moments where I understood why Davidson took the role. Then, it dawned on me that DeMonaco wrote & directed the first three Purge movies. While the filmmaker made a name for himself due to the concept he created, it’s not like those movies have been held in high regard. I can understand why DeMonaco wanted Davidson in the lead role. I can also understand why Davidson wanted to work with DeMonaco. The overall result just doesn’t land.

I think what surprised me most about the film is how it looked. It’s shot like a student project. That’s not a dig at student projects, but this film shouldn’t look like one when you have an established director and A-list actor. It truly looks like the film works with a shoe-string budget. The budget is currently not available. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was low. Honestly, that would make sense as to why I haven’t seen a single trailer and why this played at a mystery screening. The film needs the hype. I’m sorry, but with what else there is to offer in theaters right now, there’s much better over whatever this is.

By the time I got to the climax and the grand reveal, I felt nothing. There was nothing pulling me into the story to feel like this was some shocking aspect. While I can appreciate Davidson’s character not giving in, what he does is honestly bizarre and doesn’t work for this kind of film. Some audience members may find some excitement. When it’s only for five minutes and tonally out of place, it looks ridiculous. Even with how boring the film was before, I never once felt excited. Instead, I seriously questioned why this film needed to be made.

It recently dawned on me after watching the movie that I recognized John Glover from Fear the Walking Dead. Admittedly, DeMonaco brings together a great cast. What he asks of them between the action and the dialogue undermines everyone’s talents. The way people speak is cringey. The things that people do and act as though its normal during the setup is straight up weird. Just when I thought I was going to walk out of the new I Know What You Did Last Summer, I seriously would have left during this movie.

Overall, I really hate dogging on a movie as I know any movie is hard to make, but The Home is one of the worst movies of the year. There’s nothing of value at any point. Some may find interest in the story, the practical effects, or even the wild ending. To me, it has nothing to offer in the end.

VERDICT: 0.5/5 (Awful)