Reporter: Amber Van Wort
House at the End of the Street, directed by Mark Tonderai, was a shockingly well-done horror film. What appears to be a predictable beginning transitions smoothly into a completely unexpected ending. The movie had the audience gasping in disbelief, shaking their heads and covering their mouths at the revealing of not just one, but multiple twists in the plot.
The movie begins like any other horror film. Elissa, a rebellious teenage girl, and her mother Sarah move to a new town looking for a fresh start after a rough divorce.
The two just happen to move in next door to an abandoned house that hasn’t been lived in since a little girl murdered her parents there years ago, or so they think.
However, in typical horror movie fashion, late one night Sarah spots a light bursting through a window in the abandoned house. Shortly after, someone turns it out.
It’s later revealed that the house is still being lived in by Ryan, the brother and surviving member of the family.
Elissa, played by Jennifer Lawrence (known for her role as Katniss Everdeen in the recent hit, The Hunger Games) and Ryan instantly hit it off, despite her mother’s concerns that the boy may be dangerous.
Ryan, played by Max Thieriot, does a remarkable job of gaining sympathy from the audience with his notably sad, blue eyes (a key part in the film) and his lonely life story. He tells Elissa that he wasn’t living at home when his sister, Carrie Anne, murdered their parents. He moved back into that house with his aunt, who also passed away on him, and everyone in the town thinks he’s a freak that can’t be trusted. Because of her mother’s doubts about the boy, Elissa has even more incentive to sneak around and see him.
The movie focused heavily on the development of Elissa and Ryan’s relationship. As a result, it was easy to forget that it was a horror movie. While some may complain that they came to be scared, not romanced, the relationship development gives the twist at the end an even stronger impact.
The only real problems with this film are the unanswered questions. It’s never revealed why Elissa’s parents split up, even though it appears to be an obvious problem between her and her mother. However, in the grand scheme of things, this problem is minuscule, and any questions someone may have had are forgotten by the end of the film. If you’re a fan of horror, or a fan of love gone wrong, I strongly suggest you head to the nearest movie theatre and check it out.
