-Written by Kyle Bain.
2024 FILM MAUDIT 2.0 REVIEW!
Home Invasion follows the history of the doorbell. Directed by Graeme Arnfield, this documentary looks to entertain, educate, and scare its viewers–expressing all that has gone into developing the latest technology in doorbells and the issues surrounding it.
Opening to a series of eerie sounds, Home Invasion never relents in this regard, moving slowly through its story–led almost entirely by those sounds that fill the screen. Again, those sounds continue throughout the course of the film, and they become more harrowing the longer they exist, and the harrowing nature of what Arnfield includes throughout the course of Home Invasion develops intensity that not only flows through the film, but through viewers as well. I felt myself shutter at the many recordings throughout the film, oftentimes because they were paired with brilliantly-scripted sound, heightening each moment and never relenting.
While Home Invasion is a documentary about the history of the doorbell, it is most certainly a horror film–one that is likely to give you nightmares. Again, those dark, harrowing tones exist throughout the film in its entirety. Arnfield finds a delectable balance between reality and perceived reality, creating something that is both truthful and effectively manipulated to create an emotional response. Home Invasion should be a film that future horror writers and directors should study in order to strengthen their craft. Home Invasion is a masterclass of horror filmmaking in documentary form.
What Arnfield creates is something that viewers are incapable of looking away from, or they run the risk of losing something in the process. While the short clips help to propel this story, the story is told through written word, words that exist only briefly on screen. Viewers must pay close attention, they must digest every word quickly in order to understand and appreciate Home Invasion. This forces viewers to focus, to pay attention to Arnfield’s every word. With this, viewers are pulled further and further into this narrative, absorbing every bit of information along the way.
Arnfield appears to have a specific goal in mind–scare his audience. Though, the narrative that he creates is a tad hypocritical (and this is where I became frustrated with the film), as he often points out the fact that Ring uses fear mongering to convince the general public to purchase their product. He points out the company’s darkside, and while that is fine–he uses the same tactics. It’s more than alright to have opinions on things, even if those opinions are less than desirable–but to be hypocritical in his expression steals from Home Invasion. The film is too long, but I can deal with that–and it’s ultimately the hypocrisy that frustrated me at points throughout the film.
Otherwise, Home Invasion is brilliantly crafted by Arnfield. He chooses hundreds of clips from what I imagine was likely millions, and it seems that the clips he chooses are perfect for the film. Again, horror is a driving force behind Home Invasion, and the clips he chose play a massive role in developing that. Home Invasion is ultimately a cautionary tale that warns of us of our technology and the horrors that surround them.
Directed by Graeme Arnfield.
8.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
