House at the End of
the Street
(USA/Canada, 101 min.)
Dir. Mark Tonderai, Writ. Davis Loucka (screenplay),
Jonathan Mostow (story)
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, Max Thieriot,
Gil Bellows, Eva Link.
Well, here’s a film that’s sure to put Ottawa film
production on the map. House at the End
of the Street stumbles a little as thriller, but it boasts some notable
work by Ottawa’s film community. This high-profile pic benefits from a strong
turn by popular young actress Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games). However, before she stepped into Panem, Katniss
came to Ottawa to film House at the End
of the Street and the film is worth noting for the strong presence it makes
for our local talents.
Elissa becomes a bit calmer as she settles into the quieter
life of the town and makes friends with some locals. Elissa’s best friend,
however, becomes the surviving Jacobson son, Ryan (played by Foreverland’s Max Thieriot). Ryan was
away from home at the time of the murders. He’s a bit of a recluse, what with
the notoriety and all, so he makes the perfect companion for Elissa since she
doesn’t know the townsfolk that well. (Their close proximity also makes for a
convenient friendship.) Ryan just needs company, it seems; however, Elissa soon
learns the town’s darkest and best kept secret.
House at the End of the
Street is not a film that begs for logic, but it certainly makes for a fun
evening. The first act is a bit slow, but HATES
amps the tension and puts Katniss in greater peril as it moves along. At
times chilling and creepy, the film might play best for younger audiences (aka Hunger Games fans) in search of an
entertaining thriller. House at the End
of the Street packs some decent scares, but director Mark Tonderai keeps
the violence PG-13 so that the thrills aren’t overdone by mayhem and gore.
(Like The Hunger Games, HATES keeps the violence off screen.)
The film features a surprising twist, too, so audiences are bound to gasp at
least once during the film, as noted by the collective stutter during last
night’s screening.
It was fun to see the film with a packed Ottawa audience
since House at the End of the Street
is an important production for Ottawa’s burgeoning film industry. Co-produced by local production company Zed
Filmworks (The Day), the film was
shot in and around town in the summer of 2010 just when Lawrence was breaking
into the spotlight. (The filming of HATES
was underway around the time that Winter’s Bone opened in town, I believe.) It’s fun to see some locations from around
town, especially when they play stand-ins for something else. Correct me if I’m
wrong, but are not Elissa’s high school and Sarah’s hospital both shot at
Algonquin College? The local flavour is sure to be a novelty for Bytowners, but
the adaptability of the locations shows that the city makes for a viable shoot.
(The people are much friendlier here than they are in Toronto, if Hollywood
needs another incentive.) The Ottawa spend for the film ranges approximately $5
million, which makes for quite a sizable local production. (The film employed
approximately 100 local crewmembers, including 15 local actors.)
Perhaps best about House
at the End of the Street is its strong production value. For all the faults
and flaws of the script, one can’t help but notice the improved tech skills of
the Ottawa crewmembers. House at the End
of the Street is an entertaining new genre flick that offers
Hollywood-level credit to our local filmmakers.
Rating: ★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
House at the End of the Street is currently playing in wide
release.
