During a horror movie, it is common practice for the audience to urge a character to run away. Our level of engagement may well be influenced by how characters respond to threatening situations. Respond sensibly and we’re on board; respond stupidly, as is all too often the case, and we are more likely to be scornful than scared. Sebastian Godwin’s Homebound wastes no time getting to the stage where a character should consider making an escape, as newlyweds Holly (Aisling Loftus) and Richard (Tom Goodman-Hill) come to visit Richard’s children. When the children are found unattended, with Richard’s ex-wife Nina conspicuous by her absence, Holly is uneasy but stays. The audience can quickly tell this is a bad idea.
Despite the genre-based dramatic irony, Homebound is still a tense watch, as writer-director Godwin crafts a chamber piece that combines various fears. The first of these fears is isolation, as we open with Holly and Richard driving to the remote house. The empty countryside indicates the distance and utilises the familiar trope of the journey, travelling away from familiarity into the unknown. As well as expressing Holly’s journey, there is also the practical consideration that any running away will require the car keys. If one person has them and another wants to leave, power-play enters into it, provoking another fear.
The chamber piece aspect of the film links to another key fear of claustrophobia. Once again this starts from the beginning, as the camera starts inside Richard’s car, the viewer’s point of view is closely tied to that of Holly looking through the windscreen at the countryside, simultaneously isolated and enclosed. When they arrive there is little sense of relief, as despite the large house and somewhat expansive grounds that include woods and a swimming pool (in severe need of a clean), the framing is often tight and the walls, as well as the trees, are enclosing. This is another familiar trope of the genre, the ominous surroundings, and Godwin along with production designer Zoe Payne ensure that we feel Holly’s unease in these corridors of wood panelling and locked doors.
There is a relentlessness to the horror which may cause the viewer to squirm and wince, but perhaps also gain a sense of release and even appreciate a rough kind of justice.
As if isolation and confinement were not enough, the film then leans into a long-established trope in horror cinema, including The Innocents, Village of the Damned, The Exorcist, The Omen and Poltergeist: paedophobia, the fear of children. Richard’s three children are unnerving from the start. Ralph (Lukas Rolfe) is silent and surly, Anna (Raffiella Chapman) is a little too bright and perky while Lucia (Hattie Gotobed) suggests a great deal through an understated performance of eyes and terse comments. Furthermore, the family quickly reveal some unusual tendencies. The children drink a surprising amount of alcohol, encouraged by their father. And when Richard decides his children need some discipline, the tension escalates further. Goodman-Hill is especially chilling in these moments, as his light tone scarcely changes yet he conveys palpable menace with dominating body language that clearly indicates the brooking of no argument.
Within this disturbing context, it is no small wonder that Holly becomes disconcerted. However, while we may be screaming ‘Run!’, her willingness to stay and make nice with her new husband’s kids is entirely understandable. The camera closely follows her, ensuring that our sympathies are closely aligned with her. Loftus steadily allows fear to etch across her face as her eyes widen and her jaw clenches and the same this can be true for the viewer as well. A fundamental element of horror is victimhood, and Homebound conveys its victimhood effectively throughout.
For most of the film’s short run time, the general air of unease is mixed with a sense of fun, as might be expected in a sort of ghost story. Fans of creepy kids and spooky houses will be well-served by the ominous figures and the surroundings, with suspense and jump-scares cropping up along the way. However, as the film enters its final movement, something altogether more disturbing emerges. An earlier use of water is echoed in a genuinely shocking moment, and the true source of horror is revealed.
Following this revelation, Homebound delivers a brutal and visceral finale. There is a relentlessness to the horror which may cause the viewer to squirm and wince, but perhaps also gain a sense of release and even appreciate a rough kind of justice. While certain classic horrors are referenced, Homebound still offers a sense of freshness, although the final moments may not reveal quite enough for a true gut punch. It is debatable with this sort of low budget, contained horror if less is more, and if maybe a bit more might help. Homebound is perhaps not as devastating as similar recent offerings like The Owners or Coming Home in the Dark, but it still offers chills and blows in effective measure.
VINCENT’S ARCHIVE – HOMEBOUND (2022)
