132. Homebound; movie review

 

HOMEBOUND

Cert 15

71 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong horror, violence, domestic abuse, language

I remember being crept out by Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected which were regularly on TV when I was a teenager.

This was Dahl appealing to a much more adult audience than those who devoured James And The Giant Peach or Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.

The stories, introduced by Dahl himself, were late-night plays which almost always involved twisted murder.

I was reminded of them by the low-budget, creepy Homebound by Sebastian Godwin.

It stars Aisling Loftus as newlywed Holly who is being taken by her husband Richard (Tom Goodman-Hill) to meet his three children.

It transpires that the kids don't know of their marriage because their dad has been at loggerheads with their mum with whom they live.

He seems rather blase about how the news will go down and insists they all should simply have a good time because his ex has gone away for a couple of days and left the children with him and his new bride.

There is instantly something eerie about the stately home in which they are staying and the sense of foreboding is increased by the kids (Raffiella Chapman, Hattie Gotobed, Lukas Rolfe) being as sullen as The Children Of The Damned.

Much of what unfolds is psychological and I appreciated Sebastian Godwin's film for making minds rather than eyes do the work.

Sure, some of the acting is rather too melodramatic, not all of the scenarios are credible but Homebound does create a spine-chilling unease for the viewer.

Nearly 50 years on from watching Tales Of The Unexpected I can remember the episodes which really messed with my head.

I can imagine Homebound having a similar impact - and that says much for such a low-budget movie.

Reasons to watch: Echoes of Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected

Reasons to avoid: A tad too superficial

Laughs: None

Jumps: One

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Wiveton Hall in Wiveton, Norfolk in which Homebound is located is Grade II* listed building and was built in 1652 and extended in 1908. There are remains of an older building in the garden which could date back to 1280.

The final word. Sebastian Godwin: " I went to film school in Poland, originally, where I trained, and I had a teacher who said, 'You should make films about things that either you're afraid of or that you are scared of.' Eye For Film

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