Homebound: Interesting horror film if a bit flawed. Had the feel of a Shirley Jackson tale crossed with The Turn of the Screw A newly married couple, Holly (Aisling Loftus) and Richard (Tom Goodman-Hill) head to the country to meet Richard's ex-wife Nina and children. When they arrive at the stately pile they find that Nina has gone away for a few days so just Richard's teen son, Ralph ( Lukas Rolfe) and daughter Lucia (Hattie Gotobed), along with the younger daughter Anna (Raffiella Chapman) are there to greet them. Richard's mood swings along with the children'e increasingly erratic, even violent behaviour makes Holly feel uneasy. Actually she should have ran away there were so many warning lights flashing. This is a dark, disturbing film, the sprawling old house with it's creepy basement and myriad stairs and corridors adds to the Gothic feel. The violence and threat of violence are very real for most of Homebound. Even in the early scenes Richard cajoles Lucia into breaking the neck of the duck rhey will have for dinner. Richard's later actions suggest that we are dealing with a seriously dysfunctional family. Some reviewers have found the ending unsatisfactory, it is open to a few interpretations though,.also the narrative seems undertold with a 71 minute running time. There is some impressive acting though, especially from the young actors. Written and Directed by Sebastian Godwin. 7/10.
