'House at The End of The Street' Review

Hey guys! So, I know it has been quite a while and I can explain why! You see, I have been working and interning and going to school and doing a million other things that unfortunately, my blog has fallen off the map! However, the good news is that I miss it and I want to really get back into it on a weekly basis like I did a little while ago. So, at the risk of sounding too ambitious, I plan on picking things back up!

For my first post back, I have decided to post a review I wrote for The House at The End of The Street starring Jennifer Lawrence of The Hunger Games fame. It never got published in my school paper because someone else wrote the review when I was assigned it. Anyhow, I'm taking it easy for this week, but this weekend, I will have another post up...I promise!

Enjoy!
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It’s October, which means it is the time of year when the best and worst horror movies and thrillers get thrown into theaters for all to see. A movie that has been hyped so far this season is House at the End of the Street starring The Hunger Games’ Jennifer Lawrence and The Pacifier’s Max Thieriot.

The story revolves around a young girl, Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother who move into a home surrounded by woods. In the house at the end of the street, a young girl murdered her parents year ago and the rumors run rampant through the town. The girl’s older brother, Ryan(Max Thieriot), still lives in the house to try and maintain a connection to his parents. When Elissa meets him, she feels instantly connected to the broken boy despite her mother’s obvious reservations. As she becomes closer to the boy, she learns that the story of what happened at the house at the end of the street, may not be over just yet.

This movie is one of the best thrillers that has hit theaters in a long while. It has its typical moments and guessable plot points that any movie goer could point out in a second. However, there are twists in the movie that no one could call. When one thing happens in the story and you think you know which way they are going to take the story,  something else entirely seems to take shape and turn the movie on its head.

Jennifer Lawrence proves that she is not just the girl who won the 74th Annual Hunger Games. She puts on a great show as a typical teenage girl with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. She even sings a little bit in the movie and not surprisingly, this actress has quite the chops. The movie is a far cry from the blockbuster that is The Hunger Games, but it holds its own thanks to the great writing and acting. Max Thieriot is also believable as the misunderstood boy who Elissa befriends. He hasn’t done too much in the past but this movie definitely brought him back into public consciousness.

The acting was great, but by far what made this movie was the ending. There are no words for how this movie ended up. The final scene had everyone in the theater gasping for air and shocked into submission. If there is one reason to see this movie, it would have to be the crazy twists and the turns
that lead into the ending scene.

Now, that being said, I do have to say it wasn't the best horror movie I have ever seen...and I have seen a lot!! It is kind of typical of the genre and nothing too earth shattering happened. Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times said, "What could be so bad about a new Jennifer Lawrence movie that its distributor opts to keep it away from critics and release it with minimal ad support? Please, allow "House at the End of the Street" to answer that question."

Overall, it may be no Psycho and it certainly does not have the ferocity that Paranormal Activity had in its heyday, but it is definitely worth a watch if you are into thrillers with a great plot and even better actors! Definitely one to see this fall season!