Pete Davidson fascinates me. I never found him particularly amusing on SNL, yet I was always happy when he showed up. He felt like everyone’s kid brother that they let hang around because he brought great energy. That said – he is, without a doubt, the ‘darkest’ performer to ever appear on Saturday Night Live. There was always something a little dangerous bubbling below the surface. Up until now, he’s been cast as either a man-child or a stoner, or a combination of the two. It’s always about leaning into his outward persona from SNL and ramming that down our throats. The Home does something far smarter – it leans into the inward person Davidson brought to the show, that wide-eyed, nervous, manic sort of energy where there are so many emotions happening at once that you just spit electricity. In doing so, the otherwise flawed film gives Davidson his best acting showcase yet.
After getting arrested for public vandalism (he’s an artist after all), Max (Pete Davidson) is sentenced to community service involving a four-month stint as the super of a retirement home. Almost immediately, Max starts to realize something is going on at the home. Screams come from the fourth floor, where he isn’t allowed to go. Residents meet grisly deaths just as he’s getting close to them. And, some strange old man is constantly staring at him through the window. That’s about all I can say to avoid spoilers, and The Home is one of those films that is going to either live or die based on its twist. You’re either with it or you’re not. Fortunately, I had no issues with the twist itself, but plenty regarding how we got there.
But – let’s rip the Band-Aid off first – Pete Davidson is terrific here. He’s entirely believable as this traumatized and grief-stricken foster kid who keeps acting out, and still gets a few moments to toss in those iconic one-liners of his. This entire film felt like it was created as an excuse to give Davidson the chance to do this ending. Whatever the reason, it was a welcome relief to see Davidson playing ‘serious’. He has a natural rapport with all of the older actors, likely because he’s worked with plenty already. The longer the film goes on, the less confident he seems with what he’s doing, but with an ending like The Home has, that’s generally what folks are going to leave the theatre remembering. I love wild shit, and this was a bit much, even for me.
Everything about The Home feels small. Director James DeMonaco – who wrote and directed the first three The Purge films – has a knack for visuals and takes them into some Clive Barker-esque places, before culminating in some Roman Polanski-esque places. His script is tight and effectively develops multiple characters in a very short period of time. But so much of this film feels unnecessary. Does there need to be a hurricane warning throughout the entire film just to lead up to some lackluster visual effects? Do we have to throw all of that ending at the audience, or could we maybe pick the three best ideas and go with those?
If The Home is any indication, Pete Davidson should have an interesting acting career ahead of him. I still think he’ll need to find the right filmmakers for him, but once he does, he’ll have even more up his sleeve. Shout outs to all the amazing retirement home residents: John Glover, Bruce Altman, Ethan Phillips, Nathalie Schmidt, and so many more. The Home works, if you let it, but you have to excuse some really stupid nonsense from A to Z. It ultimately comes down to whether or not the destination will be worth it for you. For me, it was. And that’s entirely due to Davidson’s performance, and James DeMonaco’s batshit bravado.
RATING: ***/***** (now playing in theatres everywhere via Roadshow Attractions and Lionsgate)
