Rating: 2.5/5
Synopsis:
Ever since “Sound of Freedom”, Angel Studios has never been able to figure out the same success. They give us one more film to conclude 2024 in “Homestead”. After a nuclear bomb is detonated off the coast of southern California, the United States is sent into a frenzy. A former Green Beret and his family are hired to protect a large property nestled in the mountains known as the homestead. They also receive refuge for their contributions to the property’s safety. As conditions worsen and necessities become more scarce, more threats loom as the property receives more people at the gate. The owners of the homestead begin to wonder how long they can withstand their sanctuary before the world’s desperate needs grow increasingly unstable.
Positives:
I love a good post-apocalyptic thriller, so “Homestead’s” premise was right up my alley. The film begins on a strong note, as we see an international threat likely posing a threat to U.S. security by destabilizing California. We see a handful of families that will be traveling to the homestead and how the explosion has affected them. Once everyone arrives, we get to the main premise. The film addresses some of the lingering effects of a nuclear explosion well. Food scarcity, mass panic, and the emotional toll it takes on the public are all addressed in a thoughtful way. The owners of the homestead are constantly put in difficult situations as they must keep their food rations correct, maintain safety, and monitor the looming threats that will inevitably come to their gate. Neil McDonaugh is the main performance worth noting here. He is clearly the best actor in the film and does most of the heavy lifting. He does a nice job at conveying the generosity that he and his wife display but also having concerns with the operations of his fortress.
The film discusses the morality of taking on the burden of helping people in a situation like this. We see the family who operates the homestead having to make some difficult choices, such as turning away friends and having to ration food in a way where everyone has enough to survive. There are also circumstances about defending your home during a national catastrophe. We see conflicting ideologies about using violence to defend the fortress or helping these desperate people with even a small bag of chips. The unknown of strangers approaching the property and what their intention is made for some tense moments. The filmmakers did a nice job at showcasing the human elements of handling this situation, where some might perceive it more logically as others will have a kinder heart to those in need. A situation like this would be very complicated and I enjoyed seeing how the film addresses each perspective.
Negatives:
I so badly wanted to see “Homestead” provide the thriller it marketed. But the longer the film went on the less plausible it became. It takes some deeply strong sides on both sides of the political spectrum, removing the ambiguity that many of these circumstances had throughout the film. I believe the need to include the Christian message hurts the film as it undoes most of the realistic nature of the film. It didn’t seem like a main component of the story for most of the runtime, so when the human nature side of the story was quickly concluded for a “Hail Mary” moment, the film lost credibility for me. If they had integrated this message earlier in the story (the property owners being faith based) then their personal struggle to lead by faith while also being logical would have been much stronger. But instead, the story largely leaves the faith based angle absent until the final act. The film took a dramatic shift in perspective and tone at that time. Choosing to tell the story from a faith based perspective from the beginning or removing it altogether would have made the story stronger. .
The script is also quite weak. So adding that to a handful of shaky performances doesn’t make for a good combination. Comparing Dawn Oliveri’s performance in this and “Yellowstone” are night and day. The story has some strange logic gaps that pull away from the plausibility of establishing such a fortress. I won’t reveal what those issues are to avoid spoilers. The film also ends on a note that tells audiences the story will continue via a TV series. Most audiences won’t have access to Angel Studios streaming options so the story will end for them here. In doing so, it is a strange and unsatisfying note to end on since the story has so much more to explore. Having a movie begin a TV series is a strange way to market this series. This probably would be more successful committing to a film series or keeping it all on television.
Conclusion:
“Homestead” is a mixed bag through and through. It tackles some thoughtful ideas about the complications of such a catastrophe and how those with different ideologies might handle it. Neil McDonaugh is great as always but the rest of his cast isn’t on his level. The story had so much potential to deliver a thoughtful thriller but ultimately undoes itself by shifting the realistic approach into a half baked theological exploration. If the story chose to make faith the primary lens to which the story was told (or committing to the gritty realism), it would have been more effective. I believe the story was too ambitious for its own good. There are some compelling and riveting ideas the film explores but it never really knows what to do with them by the end. I’d say skip “Homestead” unless investing in the TV series continuation is of interest. It’s not a bad film…but it’s certainly disappointing.
