Young Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother Sarah (Elizabeth Shue) think they are moving into a quiet, uneventful new home to reconnect and start over. The house next door is supposed to be empty, but late one night Sarah sees a light go on in the allegedly vacant edifice. Turns out a young man does live there, in the very house where his crazy sister murdered their parents years before. The townsfolk think young Ryan is crazy for staying in the house all by himself, but Elissa thinks differently. Elissa is drawn to Ryan's quiet, sensitive nature, and perhaps also by the chance to draw him out of his shell. But the local legend is that Ryan's sister is still out there somewhere, watching and waiting for another chance to strike
Don't think of House at the End of the Street as a slasher film. True, the story could work as a slasher, but director Mark Tonderai has created a film that rises above many of the usual genre clichés. The story is well-written and built around mystery and suspense rather than cheap shocks, and even though most of the main characters are teenagers, the film doesn't take them down the usual paths.
The cast is outstanding. Jennifer Lawrence makes Elissa likable but not without flaws. She is smart and caring, brave and resourceful, and in many ways an atypical teenager, but all the same a young woman who makes some bad decisions throughout the movie, decisions that may have lethal consequences for herself and others. In short, she's a great protagonist that is easy to identify with. Elizabeth Shue likewise does well as Sarah, plagued by paranoia and too much drink but determined to forge a stronger relationship between her daughter and herself...if she doesn't drive her away forever first. Max Thieriot handles the touchy role of Ryan just right, capturing all the nuances of a town outcast living under the shadow of an urban legend with surprising deftness. Together, the performers ensure the story seems populated by real people of flesh and blood.
In some ways, House at the End of the Street echoes that great classic of horror cinema, Psycho. Of course, the current film isn't nearly as good as Psycho, but there are a lot of shared elements which can't entirely be coincidental. Compared to many other horror films, House at the End of the Street may seem a bit bloodless, but that's only because the filmmakers realize it takes more to make a good movie than lots of bloodshed. House at the End of the Street is a fine horror film that delivers the scares without sacrificing good sense.