The Last House is a good attempt at a PG-13 thriller. Directed by Louis Leterrier, two major challenges that come with making a mild (PG-13) psychological or sci-fi thriller are the appearance of the entity (what’s causing the fear) and landing the plane (making an ending that makes sense). Everything in this film was heading in the right direction until the “mysterious threat” was unveiled, and the film’s ending left too many questions unanswered.
The film follows an engineer’s family as they fight to survive a scary phenomenon: everyone is trapped inside their homes with no way out. With resources dwindling and an unknown threat looming outside, the trapped family of four works to survive long enough to face the threat head-on, hoping to change their fate.
Jason (Wagner Moura) and Ann (Greta Lee) are the parents of Graham (Noah Alexander Sosnowski, Gabriel Barbosa) and Ruth (Riley Chung, Emma Ho, and Arden Cho). They had planned to leave as a family to buy a Christmas Tree, but discovered they couldn’t open any doors or windows. A strange storm arrives, bringing torrential rain and an unknown figure with it. As days turn into years, the family adapts, hoping to survive long enough to eventually escape.
Remember the two roadblocks I mentioned at the beginning of the review? Those were the only flaws I could find with the film. The score was sufficient, the acting was great (outside of two extremely campy moments), and the story was interesting. Jason’s entire street was locked behind doors without wifi, leaving residents to communicate by written messages (by their windows). The premise of an unknown, unseen threat that seems to bring danger whenever it rains captures attention. It leaves room for theories about appearance, origin, and what a potential uncovered threat could be. With the suspense steady and the chance of survival slimming, the film was headed towards a top rating. But when the threat was revealed, it was extremely disappointing. With only 30 minutes or so to redeem itself, the film abruptly ends in a way that would leave many unnerved. Questions left unanswered, anomalies left unexplained, and just like that, an uneasy stomach twist of disappointment arose.
For Wagner Moura (Civil War, Narcos) to be paired with one of my favorites, Greta Lee (Past Lives, The Morning Show), I had above-average expectations. I wasn’t disappointed by their acting, but that says the writing wasn’t up to snuff. Even if there are undisclosed plans for a sequel, so much was left unanswered in this film that audiences would be deterred by a second. Not to mention, Netflix is known for delaying seasons/installments of projects far beyond their trend cycle. The only PG-13 thriller I can think of that survived a below-average threat (monster) reveal was The Gorge on Apple TV. Why did it fare well? It had a great story, was loaded with action, and the ending didn’t leave any holes (while also leaving the possibility for a sequel).
Who doesn’t like a good dystopian adventure, eh? If the film doesn’t move you to consider how the world may end, it will at least motivate you to grow your own food. Also known as homesteading, Ann teaches her family how to survive on a variety of different vegetables. While Ann and Jason taught their children about survival, a viewer could easily get a secondhand lesson to store for emergencies. With more unanswered questions than suspense, it’s still a film worth watching on a low-action weekend or an errand-free day.
The Last House gets a 7.5 out of 10. It could’ve and should’ve been better. This film is proof that a sci-fi/psychological thriller doesn’t have to be rated R to be considered “good”. The film failed at closing the story and unveiling the horror element too soon. Not only that, but once we discover what it is, the writing takes a step down in quality, which in turn saw the actors making weird mistakes that never should’ve occurred. It’s fun, and the child actors are great, but it will ultimately leave you feeling unfulfilled.
The Last House is available now on Netflix.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Netflix
Genre: Sci-fi/Action/Thriller
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: August 7, 2026