The Last House (2026)

I didn't think people still made movies just for hotels and after 10pm cable networks. The Last House (2026) gained attention when Netflix did a marketing stunt involving placing a man (Nathan Shoop) inside of a billboard to live for a few days. It got a little media buzz but nothing crazy. 

This film is directed by Louis Leterrier whose body of work I largely enjoy. That is not a testament to his skill, however as I do love slop movies. The Last House is a bit of a departure from his usual style (Remember Fast & Furious X?).

The plot follows a family of four as they realise that a semi-sentient rainstorm has trapped them inside of their house. Permanently. They communicate with their neighbours and watch as they slowly starve to death inside their homes. A hole in their chimney allows them to 'fish' for small wildlife to survive. 

The film takes place across two time periods. The first being the initial weeks of being trapped and the second being a few years into this apocalypse. Both have distinct set designs, atmospheres, but they somehow don't seem like different character struggles. The characterisation in this whole film is just weird. 

I want to address the rumours of AI in the production of the script. Louis Leterrier has not admitted to using it and Netflix released a disclaimer stating that The Last House was not made with AI. However, I really don't believe it. The script has all the hallmarks of an AI-influenced story. I have no intention of discrediting the human writers who I know were involved in this process, but just watch the film and you'll see the signs.

• Dialogue is filled with cheesy one-liners. Characters rarely talk to each other and will plainly state their problems without having those problems influence their actions.
• Plot lines don't connect with each other. They can be removed and swapped around with little consequence.
• Scenes don't align with reality in a way that could be excused as fantastical and poorly researched.
• Nothing is resolved or properly foreshadowed. To hint at a mystery, a character will state a clue point-blank and everyone will move on ignoring it. 
• The entire ending is a huge tonal shift. The way the plot is resolved makes no sense. 

The characters all act like archetypes of themselves. Greta Lee plays Ann, a hysterical but strong mother. Wagner Moura plays Jason, a prideful and strong father. Riley Chung and Emily Ho share the role of Ruth, a whimsical wide-eyed girl. Noah Sosnowski and Gabriel Chung share the role of Graham, a stubborn boy with a soft centre. 

You could guess the story beats yourself based on this information. There is little to nothing to praise about the plot and characters. Even the acting isn't very good. The actors struggle through cheesy lines with stiff delivery. There's no chemistry between anybody. 

I will praise the set design for being very beautiful. It's the first thing that drew me to the movie. Greta Lee looks beautiful waltzing through a crumbling house that has become overgrown with plants and is awash in green and gold lighting. 

Overall, I rated the film one star. I awarded it a half star for not being offensive and another half star for the set design. The Last House is a disappointing watch, but not surprising coming from Netflix. It seems like that company can only buy decent movies, not make them.