Grandmother's House Blu-ray Review

Newly orphaned siblings David and Lynn take a bus to live with their grandparents. The trip is uneventful until the driver nearly hits a woman hitchhiking. The kids arrive safely and are greeted with open arms by their aging family to their new home. Grandmother feeds them a hot meal before bed and David settles into his room. He carries a night vision scope lens, a gift from his late father, in his bag and spies out his window that night. He sees the lady hitchhiker but is quickly interrupted by his rambling grandfather. David dreams his grandparents are secretly evil and protecting a secret in the basement. The next day they go to the pool where David participates in a swim meet. Lynn meets Kenny, an aggressive flirt who puts the moves on her but ultimately seems harmless. Later, the family receives guests and David and Lynn spend time with the visitors’ teenage children; the boys exploring the farm and the young ladies talking about Kenny.

David returns to the farm and spies his grandparents meeting the mysterious woman and dragging her inside. He sneaks in to investigate and gets busted by his grandpa. The boy hides on the roof until he can try to escape with his sister. They confront the strange woman who holds a dark secret and knows more than David suspected. It appears their grandparents are not as sweet and innocent as they initially appear. This leads to some surprising revelations and an extended chase through the orange groves and surrounding waterways and canals. Who can they trust for help? Nobody suspects the sweet old couple on the farm of any wrongdoing. It remains unclear at this point who the real villain is, but everyone is certainly acting suspicious.

Grandmother’s House (aka Grandma’s House) is an odd little film that portrays the elderly as something potentially ominous. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by revealing that the grandparents are keeping a terrible secret and may be up to no good. It is strange that the title is not Grandfather’s House since he is the primary adversary. The mysterious woman injects the storyline with some much-needed energy and she is more than capable of a few surprises herself. The kids are well-rounded protagonists that audiences will root for and the isolated farmhouse situated in the middle of an orange grove makes for a creepy location.

Director Peter Rader (Hired to Kill) is best known as the screenwriter of the mega-budget Kevin Costner movie Waterworld (1995). He makes his directorial debut on a much smaller scale, choosing instead to tell an intimate story of children in peril at the hands of their elders. The script was written by Peter Jensen (Shadow of the Hawk), who also serves as the film’s cinematographer. The story begins at a deliberate pace, starting with David’s suspicions about his family and his dedication to solving the mystery of the travelling woman. Lynn is not as well-developed a character, as she is more focused on boys and being a teenager. The family dynamic generates some genuine suspense, as our heroes are helpless to control their environment and rely on adults to survive. The chase sequence that makes up the final third of the picture is beautifully realized with some great tension as the kids face off against a seemingly unstoppable force. The ending contains a shocking reveal and resolution that I found surprising.

Eric Foster (Darkroom) stars as David and is instantly likeable as our protagonist. He manages to be curious and adventurous without becoming annoying, as little brothers in film frequently are. He has some great moments, particularly the extended rooftop sequence where he is forced to fend for himself. Kim Valentine (Raiders of the Lost Shark) is warm and supportive of her brother and keeps audiences firmly on her side as she deals with the aggressive Kenny and later with the mysterious woman. As I stated earlier, she is not as well-defined a character as her sibling, but she holds her own during the chase at the end. The name talent in the picture is popular TV personality Len Lesser (Seinfeld) as the grandfather and he delivers a lot of personality to the role. He brings an emotional range with a believability that keeps the film grounded in reality. Ida Lee (Vegas in Space) is far more compassionate as the grandmother figure that is never seen as a villain despite some of her actions. The most interesting person in the movie is Brinke Stevens (Slumber Party Massacre) playing the mysterious woman. She has the best character arc and keeps audiences firmly on their toes as her secrets are slowly revealed. She starts the picture as a victim but proves to be much more of an adversary by the film’s end.

Cinematographer Peter Jensen makes great use of the Steadicam rig bringing energy to the story and delivering some nice camera moves. Grandmother’s House is entertaining but uneven as it takes a while to get started, but recovers nicely in the third act. With strong direction and solid performances, the picture is an enjoyable time passer that holds a few surprises along the way. Technical specs on this release are rock-solid and there is a nice array of supplemental materials for anyone interested in making a purchase.