Homestead

Cringe. I was pretty excited for this marketed "stand alone" movie, and I was sure it was going to develop throughout. Nope. Apparently this is a pilot, and I really wanted to convince myself that I wasn't giving it enough grace, based on what is previewed at the end. However, there is no reason to watch the rest of the series.

As a religious conservative myself, I really wanted to like this movie. But when the girl's "can I...pray for you" line was delivered awkwardly and distantly to the guy seeking comfort after his mistake (instead of her leaning in to offer a touch, hug, or even a quiet ear to listen), I laughed, then I groaned, then I lost all hope that the rest of the movie would be able to portray a good message convincingly. Sorry to say, this is Angel's first big flop, mostly due to its deceptive marketing, disjointed narrative, and failed dialogue (not to mention, the morality of message is very inconsistent).

This movie seemed interesting based on the short synopsis that I read beforehand but I would have skipped it entirely if I knew that 1: it becomes very heavy handed on its political and religious views once it gets its foot in the door and 2: it ends in an unsatisfying way followed by a lead actor urging you to scan a QR code that lets you purchase the ending of the story after you already bought your ticket. Yes, I'm serious. This movie is not just bad, its not just borderline propaganda, its an advertisement for a streaming service that ransoms the ending of the movie. I hope this practice starts and ends with this movie because it is downright abhorrent, and the people behind the decision to paywall the ending ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I'd rate this 0/10 if I could.

I waited for this movie for months. I had allowed my anticipation to build to that of a child awaiting Christmas morning. Wanting that one gift that blows the rest away only to open all your gift and find you didn't get the one that matters...Angel Studios didn't gift me my one gift. Instead they gave me a huge build up into a mediocre movie that is basically a long advertisement for a new series. Very little action. Very little scenes showing what's actually happening through America after the bombs. I felt robbed and tricked at the end. I'm not happy about the way they built this up. This could have been the movie of the year. If anyone walks away from this saying they are fulfilled and happy with the production then they are not in being honest and are only attempting to be kind. I can not deny the disappointment my family and I felt as we walked out of the theater.

This was not a "movie" it was clearly a Series Pilot.

As a pilot there can be a lot forgiven, as a movie it was not great.

Zero character development and the "plotting" style of story development is transparent and poorly executed with characters constantly making unnatural choices to move the plot toward predetermined events.

Totally missing is any level of discovery where the characters organically develop, making natural feeling choices that grow the story.

While the highlight opening scene on the ocean was fantastic, it jumped in making it difficult to understand where they were, how they got there, and why they were on their mission. In its own this was ok, being dropped in to the story so abruptly could allow the viewer to build their own narrative about the situation.

However it got worse from here. Who is the owner of the homestead, why has he set it up, what is his background, and how was it funded, perhaps as a series this will be explored over time, but as a movie it made it difficult to understand the core foundation.

Just one of the countless examples, a city official that stops by demanding an accounting of who and what is on the homestead so they could collect taxes, just a few days after the world entered a crisis. Very awkward and unnatural, however this was clearly just a poorly executed plot setup for a later encounter.

One hard truth about writing reviews is that I'll watch a film now and again that I won't connect with, and "Homestead" turned out to be that next movie. However, I understand that while I may not like it, other people will, so don't let this review stop you from seeing it if you're already excited.

To begin with the positives, all the actors, including Neal McDonough, Bailey Chase, Olivia Sanabia, Kearran Giovanni, and Tyler Lofton, did nicely with the material. In particular, McDonough's performance as Ian Ross stood out for me, as he had charisma while his character assesses the end of the world in a (mostly) realistic manner.

While I didn't think the narrative was strong, I must admit that Ben Kasica, Leah Bateman, and Phillip Abraham's screenplay was well-written. It also contains a message about how, in crisis, coming together is the best option, enhanced by Ben Smallbone's beautiful direction.

There were many great scenes, specifically the opening scene, which demonstrates the events that led to the world falling apart. Scenes like that are when the film excels, showcasing how tragedy can reveal the best and worst in all of us.

Unfortunately, the negatives weigh down the experience for me. For the first negative, the film doesn't handle its narrative the best. This drawback could be due to how uninvested I was in the character's struggles. Said characters make decisions that feel unrealistic or out-of-character based on how they previously were set up. For example, Chase's character, Jeff Erikson, feels closed off emotionally throughout the film, and his attitude only changes toward the end.

The editing was a bit messy. Time progression is all over the place, cemented by, and I'm paraphrasing, a '30 Days After the Incident' title card. It skips details that I feel the film would have benefited from showing, and I know there's a TV show following this. The choppy editing led to stagnant pacing, with the film only picking up in select moments. Kevin Costner's "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1" had similar issues, which felt like a setup rather than a complete package. I'll give "Homestead" this: I prefer it over Horizon, and if it were between watching Chapter 2 of Costner's passion project or the TV show where I'd have to "Pay It Forward" to view, I'd go for the latter option. I'm not because a $15 minimum is too much of an ask for only the first episode, and it should have been $5. I know I'm being a hypocrite because the Angel Sponsored Screening I went to, where I saw the film for free, wouldn't happened without the "Pay It Forward" program, so thanks to everyone who helped make the screening possible.

Moving on from the show and the editing, one final point I want to bring up, a minor issue compared to the editing, is the narration. Dawn Oliveri's character, Jenna Ross, delivers the narration throughout the film, and I felt it didn't leave an impact. The narration is vital for developing her character, but it seemed like the only aspect giving her character instead of letting her actions speak for themselves. Again, it could be a symptom of my lack of character investment, but for the most part, the film could've removed the narration.

"Homestead" didn't work for me, and that's okay. I know that others will enjoy it, but I'd sooner watch its preceding TV show when it becomes free instead of "Paying It Forward." No offense to the program, but I should like the setup that shouldn't feel like a setup. While I didn't enjoy it enough, if you see and enjoy it and are interested in seeing the story continue, definitely "Pay It Forward."

Technically, the acting, directing, writing, and Matthew Rivera's cinematography make the technical score a 9/10.

For the enjoyment score, if you want to see it, then do so, but I felt it was weak. For me, the enjoyment score is a 5/10. Nonetheless, its messaging is lively, inspired, and necessary. In most cases, we all connect in a time of tragedy and peril one way or the other, and working alongside one another is the solution. I wish that message were in a better film.