‘JACK GOES HOME’ Review

Repression can be a horrible thing. As much as our minds would like us to forget trauma and pain, it’s proven fact that it’s often more damaging than it is helpful. So discovers Jack (Rory Culkin), a young man who has a baby due with Cleo (Britt Robertson) who gets a call at work that his parents have been in a car accident and that his father has passed away. He returns to his childhood home to care for his mother Teresa (Lin Shaye). Jack starts looking into his past, discovering forgotten secrets which will literally begin to haunt him.

Jack Goes Home is a movie which is best described as chilling. When Jack is relaying to Cleo that his father died in a “by the way,” matter of fact fashion, we already know something is off. Jack is damaged. He claims he’s made peace with it, but how did he manage to do that in an afternoon? When he gets home his mother fluctuates between caring and menacing. His friend Shanda (Daveigh Chase) is there to help him heal, but she starts noticing that Jack isn’t well at all. Jack has forgotten a lot.

The tone is mostly mysterious with a slight humor in the background, and it’s a story that peels away layers slowly before finally revealing the truth…and then managing to muddle it somewhat. I wasn’t particularly happy with the final shot. Either the movie should have ended before it or continued past it for a few more minutes, I’m not sure which. The pace and flow is a tad slow towards the middle, but picks back up in time for the big reveals. Culkin is the main draw to this project. While Macaulay’s star burned out as he aged, his two siblings have soared. Rory brings a depth and a damage to Jack that just couldn’t have been on the page. Couldn’t picture anyone else in the role being nearly as effective and emotive.

Writer-director Thomas Dekker is best known as an actor, this marking his sophomore film behind the camera after 2008’s Whore. What he lacks in cohesion in narrative he makes up for in visual flair. There are shots framed perfectly for horror here with set ups for scares being well designed and timed with expertise. There’s a sequence in the attic that is shot and lit and paced with perfection, and it’s the creepiest bit in a movie full of creepy bits. While not entirely coming together as I wanted, Jack Goes Home is bolstered with a great starring performance, and comes with a healthy recommendation based on that alone.

JACK GOES HOME is in select theaters and On-Demand/Digital TODAY!