Homebound – Review [Fantastic Fest] (4/5)

HOMEBOUND is a horror mystery thriller hybrid that works remarkably well. Also, it featured some very creepy kids that seem impossible to read at first. We screened this little gem at Fantastic Fest 2021. Read our full Homebound movie review here!

HOMEBOUND is a new genre movie that mixes several genres into one hell of a treat. With horror vibes, a thriller plot driver, and a dark mystery to discover, you’ll have plenty to keep you entertained.

Also, the story features some rather creepy kids and teens. All of them seem impossible to read and get a real grasp of at first. However, nothing is as it appears and you will get your answers before the end credits. We screened this movie during Fantastic Fest 2021 which seems like the perfect venue for this gem.

Continue reading our Homebound movie review below.

A cast of just five actors

In Homebound, the entire story plays out with just five actors. Two adults, two young teens, and one child. Of the adults, one is the brand new stepmom who meets her stepchildren for the very first time. Her name is Holly and she is portrayed perfectly by Aisling Loftus (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) who will ultimately go through quite a lot.

Her new husband, Richard, clearly hasn’t told her much about his kids or ex-wife. Also, it’s difficult to see why she is even with him, but it seems evident that she is seeing a new side of him during the story in this film. Richard is portrayed by Tom Goodman-Hill who is as irritating as he is grossly realistic.

I’m sure most of us have seen this kind of father in real life; The kind who allows his kids everything but gets very angry, very fast, when he suddenly decides that something is out of bounds.

The two teenaged kids are portrayed by Hattie Gotobed (Precognition) and Lukas Rolfe (The Death & Life of John F. Donovan) while the younger girl is played by Raffiella Chapman (Infinite). All of them deliver strong portrayals and quite a lot is expected from them for the storyline in Homebound.

Watch Homebound whenever you can!

Homebound is the feature film debut for writer and director Sebastian Godwin. With a runtime of just 1 hour and 15 minutes, he has crafted a movie that is exactly as long as the story dictates. I love it when this is the case rather than scrambling to get it up to a classic 90-minute runtime.

Another rather brilliant little movie that did the same was Host on Shudder which clocked in at just 57 minutes. But hey, if that’s the best version of the movie, then that’s what you should go with.

With a movie like Homebound, the good old “the less you know, the better” is extremely accurate. You don’t want to know too much about the plot twists and turns. The strength of this movie is in watching it and slowly realizing what is actually going on. Essentially, you’re in the shoes of Holly (Aisling Loftus) who has no idea what’s going on either.

You’ll want to watch this little slice of crazy whenever you can. Definitely not one to miss out on.

HOMEBOUND had its world premiere on September 25, 2021, at Fantastic Fest where we screened it. It will be out in the UK in theaters on April 1, 2022, and on Digital on April 4, 2022. In the US, Homebound will premiere in theaters and On Demand on May 13, 2022.

Details

Director: Sebastian Godwin
Writer: Sebastian Godwin
Stars: Aisling Loftus, Tom Goodman-Hill, Hattie Gotobed, Lukas Rolfe, Raffiella Chapman