Homestead (PG-13)
25/01/25 01:19 Filed in: 2024
Starring: Neal McDonough
December 2024
Warning! This is NOT a movie review. This is a critique of the film. Intended to initiate a dialogue, the following analysis explores various aspects of the film and may contain spoilers. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. Ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
The film opens with a doomsday scenario—a nuclear bomb is detonated just off the coast of Los Angeles. The aftermath plays out in a series of taut, well executed vignettes as characters scramble to get out of the city, which is blanketed by a dense layer of noxious, rust-hued air that’s just a few shades darker than the typical rush hour smog.
The next phase of the film brings us to the Rocky Mountains and a large estate owned by Ian Ross (Neal McDonough). We’re introduced to Ian’s family and a group of ex-military hoorahs, led by Jeff Eriksson (Bailey Chase), Ian has hired to guard his property. When food, water and supplies run out in the town below, the homeless and hungry amass at Ian’s main gate, hoping for a handout or an opportune moment to storm the gate (as does a SWAT team during the movie’s climax). Aside from security challenges, one of the most pressing problems, with winter approaching, becomes how to feed and shelter a growing number of people.
Homestead comes to us courtesy of the crowd-sourced Angel Studios (The Chosen), and is essentially a 2-hour pilot for a future web series. The early stages of the film are really good and feel like a legitimate big-screen release. However, when the action shifts to the titular locale, the movie begins to feel more and more like a CW TV series. Other dead giveaways that Homestead isn’t up to the standard of a major studio film is the music by Benjamin Backus. In addition to aggressive underscoring during conversations to heighten the drama, the music was mixed for the small screen rather than the big screen. What gives this away? There are several instances where the music is too loud, drowning out dialog, including several key voice-over narrations near the end of the film.
Despite its technical shortcomings, Homestead is a unique vision of a post-apocalyptic America. Told from a conservative POV, the story foregrounds the complex issue of isolationism vs amnesty for all in survival situations. Ian’s front gate and property lines are an analog for the U.S./Mexico border. Ian’s wife, Jenna (Dawn Olivieri), urges her husband to invite the refugees inside their expansive property, but abacus-bound Ian refuses, stating they barely have enough to sustain their own family and hired security men.
But when Ian is sidelined by a stray bullet, Jenna completely disregards his wishes and admits everyone camped out at the front gate. In a predictable twist, the skills and knowledge possessed by the newcomers helps solve many of the problems Ian has been stressing over. This compassionate, liberal action provides a solution to the immediate problems facing the homestead, and provides a happy resolution for the movie.
As the series progresses, my major request is that the producers/writers make Ian more heroic and less of a stick in the mud. McDonough is a terrific actor, but his character here is downright annoying at times. He frets over everything and doesn’t seem to have the faintest modicum of faith, which is ironic since this is supposedly a faith-based film (it’s actually a faith-lite film).
Though Ian clearly constructed his estate with the apocalypse in mind, he seems ill-equipped to deal with the challenges that arise during the film, which is uber frustrating. He’s indecisive, uninformed and eternally pessimistic. He’s also cold. We rarely see him provide emotional support for his wife or daughter. Ian’s pride in the abilities of his own people to defend the compound is woefully unfounded, as a war games scenario with the new security forces makes abundantly clear.
Ian’s inability to make sound decisions creates a strange power dynamic in the film. As the de facto main character, Ian should be the protagonist, but due to his weak leadership, Jeff’s supreme competence and Jenna’s moral convictions make them the real power brokers in the movie.
Angel Studios, please make Ian the true leader of the series. Also, make him the emotional and spiritual leader of his family and those under his care. Accomplishing that will make Homestead feel more like home.
Note: While putting the finishing touches on this piece, I learned that McDonough will not appear in the series. This type of bait-and-switch gimmick, employed to increase viewership, is distasteful and disingenuous. A similar casting ploy was used for TV’s Invasion, which billed Sam Neill as its main star. Annoyingly, Neill only appeared for a few minutes in the first episode. This is a devilish move from the purportedly seraphic studio.
Rating: 2 ½ out of 4