Dream Home (2010) Review – A Visceral and Stylish Satire of the Housing Market

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing Dream Home (2010).

Absolutely incredible splatter horror fun

Dream Home follows the story of Cheng, played by Josie Ho, and her attempt to purchase a flat in a housing complex facing the Victoria bay. After dreaming of buying a flat with a view over the harbour to live with her dad, Cheng realises prices are too high and time is running out. Determined to cause her own housing bubble burst, she goes on a murderous rampage to make the place seem less than desirable to other buyers.

“Dream Home is a fantastically stylish splatter-horror that’s absolutely brutal in its delivery. The movie combines drama with a calculated murderer on an intense killing spree.”

Dream Home is a fantastically stylish splatter-horror that’s absolutely brutal in its delivery. The movie combines elements of drama with a calculated murderer on an intense killing spree. The catch? The murderer is our rather likeable protagonist Cheng. We start as we mean to go on, here. The movie opens up with a horrific kill scene that spares absolutely no details.

Unlike many other slasher movies, Dream Home prefers to expand on its story in a non-linear manner between the scenes of violence. There is a heavy focus here on the plight of Cheng and her family. We have flashbacks to her childhood and we can see how horribly difficult her life has become. She is a sympathetic character which contrasts nicely with the events occurring in the present time.

The story is firmly routed in the realities of life for low earners in the city. Cheng is working multiple jobs and appears to be dating a deadbeat businessman who is already married. She is receiving no help from the people around her so she decides to help herself. This turns Dream Home into a violent genre picture full of action-packed sequences that wouldn’t be out of place in an anime or a Tarantino movie. It’s brilliant stuff and tremendously fun.

Incredibly brutal

Dream Home is incredibly brutal, it has to be said. It’s one of the most violent slasher horror movies I have ever watched. Naturally, movies like this fail or thrive based on their kills. Numbers often takes a backseat to the gruesomeness and inventiveness of the kills. For example, Saw stood out for the sheer creativity of the way Jigsaw murdered his victims. Dream Home stands out for this same reason.

There are some, frankly, disgusting scenes here. Expect fingers to be missing, eyeballs to be popped out, guts to be spilled, and so much more. It all looks horribly convincing, as well. The special effects department has gone wild here and done an incredibly realistic job. From what I can tell, the vast majority of the effects here are practical, which is very nice to see. Buckets of blood are spilled and it’s impossible not to feel sorry for the victims.

For much of its run, the violence here is played for laughs. At times, however, I imagine some viewers will be put off entirely. There is a concerted effort to disgust the person watching and most people will be left, at least a little, grossed out. Needless to say, if you have a weak stomach, you are probably going to want to avoid this movie.

One scene stands out as seriously disgusting

There is one scene in Dream Home that is, for lack of a better description, disturbing. Whenever I think of horror movie kills, this scene is always at the forefront of my mind. Without going into too much detail it involves a heavily pregnant woman and it is almost as bad as you might imagine.

This scene was cut in the Asian release and it is not hard to see why. All being fair in love and horror, some will likely appreciate how incredibly gross the scene is. Others, however, will likely turn the movie off right there. If you want to watch but also wish to avoid this scene, skip from 23 minutes to 26 and you should be fine.

“The whole film leans into the splatter-horror thing in a big way. These movies often act as examinations of how to tear apart the human body and this is no exception.”

The whole film leans into the whole splatter-horror thing in a big way. These movies often act as examinations of how to tear apart the human body and this is no exception. There’s a fair bit of nudity as well if that bothers you. It’s more incidental than anything and fits in with the events perfectly but still worthy of note.

Dream Home‘s chronology is, also, a little strange. Again, it reminds me of a Tarantino movie and it’s hard not to see the influence of Pulp Fiction here. The timeline darts around all over the place. It isn’t until the end that you really have a grasp of how the events have played out. I imagine this will likely throw a few people off and it can be quite difficult to follow.

Stylish and funnier than you might assume

Dream Home is ridiculously stylish. There are a number of creative shots that aim to captivate the viewer. Interesting camera and editing techniques are used to add flair to some of the kills. The kill scenes almost feel like video game set pieces where the developer has complete control over the camera to add maximum shock value for the viewer. The filming style is always interesting and lends itself well to the almost comic book style of the violence.

Dream Home is, also, quite a funny movie. It has a satirical approach so there are plenty of little winks to the viewer. Some of the scenes, however, lean even further into the humour and are legitimately hilarious. There is one particular stretch during the middle of the movie that had my partner and I laughing our asses off every time we have a watched it.

It takes place in the flat of a group of people who are taking drugs and having sex. It features debauchery, nudity, gore, and parts of the body spilling out that should definitely not be spilling out. The scene is played almost entirely for laughs and is a great example of how well balanced the movie is between drama, comedy, and horror.

Fantastic acting & excellent cinematography

Dream Home is, for the most part, very well acted. Side characters are all pretty decent but it is Josie Ho that carries the film. Ho, as Cheng, is easy to sympathise with and a compelling mix of victim and femme fatale.

“If you are looking for a stylish, blood-soaked thrill ride, watch Dream Home. It is brutally violent, hilarious in parts, shocking, and even occasionally touching.”

Ho is the daughter of a billionaire casino magnate so this character is directly in contrast to her actual upbringing. She also co-produced the film which was released under her own film studio 852 Films. We have Ho to thank for the fact that Dream Home is so comically violent, as well. Director Pang Ho-cheung wanted Dream Home to be more realistic. It was Josie Ho that desired more violence and for the movie to be a little more ridiculous.

Cinematography, in general, is excellent. There are lots of fantastic outdoor shots highlighting the unusual landscape of Hong Kong. Cameras capture the cityscape from high up and the sense of scale is always impressive. Indoor shots are full of detail and flair with the flashback shots being particularly interesting. There is a sense of claustrophobia and darkness used to highlight the desperation of Cheng’s situation. Is very nicely done and always interesting to look at.

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.

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