HOMECOMING is a by-the-numbers psychological thriller that combines elements of “Play Misty For Me,” “Misery” and “Fatal Attraction” and updates them for today’s current youth market. This creates a surprisingly effective picture that never takes itself seriously and allows the audience to have the equivalent amount of fun as watching a well-made Lifetime picture. And that is all anybody that would rent HOMECOMING could want.
In fact that Lifetime quality will be ever present when it airs on Lifetime, Sunday, April 11 at 6:00 P.M and Tuesday, April 13 at 9:00 P.M. It will hit stores and Amazon on April 20.
Elizabeth (The beautiful Jessica Stroup, 90210) goes with her boyfriend Mike (Matt Long) to his hometown for the retiring of his high school jersey and to make a good impression on his parents. The problem is that Mike never officially broke up with his girlfriend, Shelby, who is played by the sexy Mischa Barton.
The film then takes a strange turn (literally) throwing the audience into “Misery” territory. Well actually saying territory is putting in mildly, it blatantly rips off the much more superior Rob Reiner classic. Shelby seems to take the news pretty well even to go as far as to get drunk with Elizabeth while Mike and his cousin, Billy continue to bowl. Elizabeth doesn’t want to make a bad impression to Mike’s mother and asked to be dropped off at a local Motel to sober up until the morning. The motel happens to have no vacancy leaving a drunken Elizabeth to wander the night aimlessly since the town happens to have a bad cell phone reception.
(Seems every horror movie nowadays needs to come up with a reason why major characters can’t use their cell phones.)
A devastated and drunken Shelby accidentally hits Elizabeth with her car and takes the girl back to her house, where she plans to keep her and continue to pursue her ex-boyfriend Mike. All of this is set-up within the first 15 minutes of context allowing the rest of the story to be about whether or not Mike will figure any of this out.
The audience seats threw the usual game of cat and mouse, where simple clues get left in the hopes one of the “good” people will notice them and well it is nothing groundbreaking it is entertaining. The three leads all do a fine job considering the material and make every twist and turn plausible.
A special mention must be made for Michael Landes, who play Mike’s cousin Billy Fletcher. His character brings a light tone to the picture allowing him to sneak with the truth often hidden under a blanket of comedy. He is an actor that has been in the business for a long time with roles that date back to episodes of “Blossom,” “Step by Step,” and “The Torkelsons.” But the reason he seems so familiar to most people will probably be from his stint on “The Wonder Years” as Kirk McCraig, the guy that stole Winnie from Kevin in 8th grade.
All the elements surprisingly collide well in the incompetent hands of director Morgan J. Freeman, (Not that one!) who should stick to lousy reality shows such as “16 and Pregnant.” The actors make up for the uninspired direction, which he should have utilized to add a unique spin to the premise.
When all is said and done HOMECOMING is an entertaining, slightly suspenseful, competently acted time waster for the “Life Unexpected” crowd that still haven’t seen “Misery.”
– Anthony Benedetto
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
