By Becca Johnson October 1, 2024
From Rosemary’s Baby (1968) to Bed Rest (2022), Prevenge (2016) to False Positive (2021), the horror genre often plays host to one theme in particular that links all the above - pregnancy. We've even had a fair few this year alone, with the likes of Immaculate, The First Omen and Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A taking much of the limelight. Pregnancy horrors are no rarity, but new German flick Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives promises to do something different with the idea.
Directed by Thomas Sieben and starring Nilam Farooq in the leading role, Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives offers up an exciting one-take approach and a stunning lead performance, though the third act leaves much to be desired.
Synopsis
Expecting mother Maria uncovers chilling truths about her reclusive father-in-law's home. A sinister family secret lurks in the basement as she fights unseen entities through a nightmarish ordeal.
Review
What sets Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives apart is the unique approach to telling the story. Appearing to be shot in one single take, lead character Maria’s terrifying night plays out in front of us, uncomfortable beginning to harrowing end. Heavily pregnant, alone and scared beyond belief, Maria’s evening is far from the usual, and the shaky, sweeping cinematography adds nicely to the fear factor. One-take wonders are nothing new, but its rare to have one within the horror genre, especially that opts for a handheld approach. It works like a charm, surpassing the gimmick to become the movies best asset. The shaky cam may be a little too much for some, but the single shot approach is admirable.
Nilam Farooq (Contra) is utterly fantastic in the leading role of Maria. Not only is she in an unfamiliar place and is heavily pregnant, but something is not quite right with her surroundings and those around her. Her father-in-law is exhibiting weird behavior, no-one seems to be paying attention to her gut feeling that something strange is afoot, and she feels utterly alone. Farooq embodies this fear and intensity perfectly, creating a lead that you can sympathise with. Starring opposite as love interest Viktor is David Kross (The King’s Man), who has a minimal amount of screen-time but does well enough with it. Perhaps the most notable side performances delivered by Justus von Dohnanyi, who certainly makes his presence known throughout the movie.
Home Sweet Home is light on the scares, but heavy on the tension building and thrills. The setting is eerie from the start due to Maria’s isolation, but the further the run-time progresses, the higher the chills are cranked up. It is slow to start, but it’s always worth keeping an eye on the empty space behind Maria to see what can be found lurking there. The film seamlessly blends home invasion with occult ideas and ghostly goings-on to incorporate something for all horror fans to enjoy, though its main focus is on story. What starts as a pretty straightforward pregnancy flick turns into quite a sinister affair with plenty of family secrets to unearth. It certainly keeps its cards close to its chest, and has surprises in store that viewers will delight in.
Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives could’ve done with some finer tuning within the script to hit a solid home run. As fantastic as Farooq is at creating a likable character in Maria, we never really get to know her outside of the situation she’s placed in. Some further development would’ve helped us root for her all the more. The tension building works well to create an unsettling tone, and the first act or two are fantastic at immersing viewers into a looming sense of dread, but once we get to the third act, the story unwinds a little. A couple of the side performances from characters that become more prominent towards the climax are questionable, and the plot begins to bite off more than it can chew with much corny dialogue present. Stronger in its quieter and more focussed moments, Home Sweet Home gets a little lost by struggling to come to a close.
Worth watching for the unbroken cinematography alone, Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives is a competent horror-thriller hybrid with an excellent lead performance and a one-shot approach worth marvelling at. The ideas are strong and the sense of dread is engulfing, but the convoluted ending and lack of character depth prevent it from becoming as memorable as it should be.
Star Rating
Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives is available now on digital platforms
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