Coming off her recent success with The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence has returned to the big screen for director Mark Tonderai's House at the End of the Street. From the very first few minutes of the film, it's clear that the young actress still has the charisma and acting chops to pull off the heart-melting whimsy of a troubled teenager. But is it enough to ignite this seemingly pedestrian slasher flick?
The story centers on Elissa (Lawrence) and her mother Sarah (Elisabeth Shue), who move to a small, upscale town in search of a fresh start. But before they've even finished unpacking, Elissa and Sarah learn the horrifying secret behind the house next door. Years earlier, a daughter killed both of her parents in the night and disappeared, leaving only her brother Ryan (Max Thieriot) as the sole survivor. Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins developing a friendship with Ryan, who seems to be keeping a few secrets of his own.
Obviously, the biggest selling point here is Jennifer Lawrence, and her performance is sweet and genuine; she does a great job of evoking the naivete of a rebellious daughter. Unfortunately, not even the talented Lawrence -- bless her -- can elevate this uninspired material (despite her perpetually glistening skin and flimsy white tank top). Whatever merit there is in the acting is more or less undone by the contrived and predictable storytelling.
To its credit, the film does have one decent twist that some viewers may find surprising, although a seasoned moviegoer will likely see it coming. Even the first 45 minutes or so are actually pretty decent. Elissa and Sarah share some nice scenes together early on, and the budding romance between Elissa and Ryan has its occasional sincere moments. The narrative isn't hopeless by any stretch, but its characters eventually become so stupid that you'll soon be whispering things like, "God, turn around!" or, "Seriously, don't open that door," and finally, "Ugh, you deserve to die!" As the film nears its end, you'll wonder how Elissa managed to survive the move-in, let alone how she might escape the ploys of a violent psychopath.
House at the End of the Street isn't a poorly structured film, but its bush-league scares are few and far between. Moreover, the actual dramatic aspects of the story never really culminate in anything meaningful. In fact, the more we see of the characters, the less invested we become. The initial complexity and intrigue behind Elissa and Sarah's relationship is slowly worn away until you forget why you even cared in the first place. It's unfortunate, too, because Lawrence and Shue have a pretty good chemistry together. On the plus side, in terms of story the ending isn't a total "screw you" to the audience, and there is at least some sense of closure for the characters.
At the end of the day, Tonderai's entry-level thriller isn't the worst horror film to come out in recent memory, but it's certainly nothing you haven't seen before. The movie plays on every cheap cliché and common-sense failure you can think of, and the presentation clues you into most of the surprises before they happen. Having said that, if you're a huge Jennifer Lawrence fan, I wouldn't blame you for checking it out -- she's still as endearing and sexy as ever -- but I'd suggest waiting until another one of her many other projects hits theaters before dropping coin here. (I hear Silver Linings Playbook is supposed to be pretty good.)
Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.
Although Jennifer Lawrence delivers a solid performance, House at the End of the Street's amateur screenplay and transparent direction fail to keep up.
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