‘Model House’ Review – Not A Picture Perfect Thriller

The home invasion subgenre is a standard vehicle for many horror films; think The Strangers. Model House sets up five swimsuit models at a secluded house for the weekend. Director Derek Pike makes his debut with this movie, bringing his trademark style from directing over 100 music videos. The film is cut together with the intensity of a music video. The images are pretty, and the music is heart-pumping. The movie strikes a chord, exploring the relationship between social media influencers and their followers. While the setup is unique, the movie does play it safe for the most part. It lacks a curiosity that makes modern horror topical. Ultimately, the film is a collection of horror tropes mixed with two creepy masks. The premise is intriguing, but the execution will leave fans of the genre wanting more.

Model House plays into the home invasion premise when two intruders break into the model house and hold the five girls for ransom. Rather than extort them for money, the intruders force them to post fake donation links to each other’s social media pages. The intruders want $1 million, and as they suspect, the girl’s followers rally to support their cause. As the situation worsens, the girls realize their lives are in danger, and they decide to fight back.

The pacing lags with the narrative. Despite being an 85-minute movie, the story meanders from one tired horror cliché beat to the next, with characters mostly of one-note and familiar archetypes. The scares are lackluster, and while the movie offers a few twists on the genre, the script never elevates the tension to a palpable sense. The dialogue is clunky, even by horror movie standards, and adds little to this subpar effort.

The stakes are high at points, but the drama is overtly contrived. There is never a moment when the characters become the quintessential final girls. The movie plays like the best and worst hits from any number of slasher horror films. Audiences expecting a social commentary or even several delicate twists will be disappointed. Model House vibes more like an extended music video, which is an excellent avenue to pursue, but the lack of momentum for the story makes the finished product feel shoddy.

The feature is more about running out the clock than a high-stakes survival film. It keeps the main cast tied up for much of the film and lacks a central component fundamental to these types of movies. There is no cat-and-mouse game, but the movie tries out a soft psychological terror rather than the traditional stalk and thrills.  The results are interesting, but the movie never allows the main characters to grow beyond cardboard archetypes.

On the plus, however, fans of the genre will welcome Scout Taylor-Compton, who headlines the movie. In a role against type, she plays one of the film’s intruders. While she is far from the film psychopaths these movies tend to introduce as the culprits, she does bring a unique sense of menace. She spends much of the film behind a mask, which makes her portrayal more dynamic. Despite the limitations of the mask and her small stature, she is unsettling in the role. She also establishes a twitchy complexity that fans of the genre will undoubtedly appreciate.

Taylor-Compton is, without a doubt, the highlight of the film. In an unusual reversal, the movie spotlights these intruders behind the masks. In addition to Taylor-Compton, Chris Zylka, who people may recall from The Amazing Spider-Man, plays the second intruder, who, again, is not a black-and-white composite. As is the case with Taylor-Compton, the film takes more interest in exploring the backstory and identities of the intruders than those of the models.

Perhaps I expect too much from modern horror. Model House is a vacant house for horror films. There are some compelling villainous performances and a few creative kills, but the gist is hackneyed rather than inventive.

Model House is currently playing in select theaters and is available on Digital platforms courtesy of Shout! Studios. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw3vvEpoS7s]