Home Movie (2008) Review – A Bleak and Disturbing Found Footage Chiller

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at Christopher Denham’s found footage chiller Home Movie from 2008.

The kids aren’t alright

Home Movie is the story of a very religious couple trying to deal with their seriously messed up kids. Exhibiting increasingly bizarre behaviour, it quickly becomes obvious that something is not right with the troublesome twins. As you may guess from the screenshots, this movie is filmed in a found footage style and comes right at the start of the medium’s Paranormal Activity and [REC] inspired revival.

“Home Movie is the story of a very religious couple trying to deal with their seriously messed up kids. Things start going wrong almost straight away and escalate rapidly.”

Focusing on the lives of one small family, Home Movie is a simple concept. David (Adrian Pasdar), the patriarch of the family, does most of the filming while Clare (Cady McClain), the mother, takes more of a back seat. We see most events through the perspective of the parents. Exposition comes by way of conversations and Clare’s psychological analysis of her children. We aren’t waiting around too long for the action to appear. Things start going wrong almost straight away and escalate rapidly.

It’s a bit like The Children (2008) in as much as the focus here is placed on two kids who are absolutely tearing shit up. Unlike the aforementioned British horror however, this movie sees the kids acting up from the very get go. There’s no mysterious virus, just some seriously messed up little bastards who are going to spend the next hour or so tormenting the hell out of their parents. Parents who frequently butt heads as David simply doesn’t want to believe his little angels are capable of this.

Scary kids scaring adults

Horror movies have been tapping into the scariness of children for a long time. Films like Children of the Corn, The Omen, and Cheaper by the Dozen have been made as cautionary tales that kids can be horrible little bastards that will ruin your life. It makes sense, right? I was a little shit when I was a kid. My late younger brother was even worse. He once woke me up from a deep sleep by farting into a bottle and placing it under my nose. As I sprung to life gagging furiously, his face lit up with unbridled joy and I realised one undeniable fact: kids can be truly evil.

With this in mind, Home Movie has the perfect antagonists – two horrible little arseholes. They barely speak, they have invented their own language, and they hate animals. The fact that David and Clare are forced to protect the little buggers only adds to their dilemma. Emily and Jake are horribly cruel and, frankly, a bit weird. They are incredibly well suited to their specific brand of mayhem, too.

“The kids are creepy and it is easy to buy into the story. You will likely want to know what will happen next and what is causing the bizarre behaviour.”

Their idiot of a dad, in a seeming lack of foresight, has taught them how to pick locks. He also teaches them how to tie knots… knots that you cannot escape from! I will hasten to add that this is after the kids have shown troubling signs. This is a duo that is capable of far more than your average children and they put that to good use terrorising their parents. Ignoring the problems doesn’t help and Claire and David have to face up to facts, even though it might be too late. Like the parents of Ezra Miller, they have to admit that they have created something truly evil.

Unfortunately, it gets very messy

Home Movie manages to build up some nice tension and atmosphere. The fact that the movie drops the ball in so many areas is quite a shame. It becomes repetitive quickly as the narrative marches through the seasons. There are tremendous plot holes throughout that only compound that issue. I mean, just look at the fact that Clare, a child psychologist, is treating her own children and prescribing them medication. If that doesn’t say a lot about how little the writer cared about logic then I don’t know what does. This is only one example of the sloppy writing that is the main factor holding Home Movie back.

The ending is ridiculous, too. It’s a massive logic leap to reach that conclusion and will have you palming your face. It is very disappointing. I absolutely hated David, as well. David, played by Adrian Pasdar, for me, makes this movie a bit of a chore. He attempts to steal every scene and fails miserably. We are forced to listen to him putting on terrible accents as he attempts to entertain the kids. The guy narrates himself punishing his child. He dances like a prick while wearing a Santa costume. Oh and let’s not forget him running around in a pink bunny suit throwing eggs.

“David, played by Adrian Pasdar, makes this movie a bit of a chore. He is horribly annoying and insanely overbearing. He attempts to steal every scene and fails miserably.”

By about 30 minutes in to the movie, I understood why the kids were so messed up. Imagine living with this guy! The poor bastards seem almost rational when viewed in the context of being raised by this dude. I should probably point out that this isn’t the greatest looking found footage movie ever. It’s very grainy and the camera can be spasmodic. It’s mid-2000s so you should know what to expect.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.