The Home - A Harrowing Horror on Trauma's Longevity

The Home [2025]

Film

The Home had its World Premiere at SXSW 2025

Based on the novel of the same name, by Mats Strandberg, Mattias Johansson Skoglund's Swedish film The Home is yet another outstanding dread-filled Scandinavian horror film, marking a terrific run from the area. Echoing the unease of last year’s Handling the Dead and the haunting intimacy of Let the Right One In (2008), The Home thrives on claustrophobic tension and steadily mounting anxiety. What sets Skoglund's film apart from its Scandinavian horror predecessors is its sheer pace, leaping into the tension with electrifying speed drawn from Strandberg’s source material. The final product is a gripping, suspenseful horror that provides enough voltage to shake you to your core.

After Joel's (Philip Oros) mother, Monika (Anki Lidén), suffers a stroke, he reluctantly returns to his hometown after years of absence to help her into an assisted living home. Joel's once upon a time best friend Nina (Gizem Erdogan) happens to work at this facility and both seem to think that something is decidedly off with Monika, and not just due to her worsening dementia. It's possible, that something, or someone, has followed Monika back from her near death experience.

Skoglund's adaptation does an incredible job expressing the breadth of this information in the first 15 minutes of the film. The rapid-fire editing can feel choppy at times, leaving a desire for more lingering shots, but ultimately its effective in its communication. Once the initial idea has been presented, The Home really begins to take shape. The production design of the nursing home is nothing extravagant, but its slightly run-down or mundane nature makes it that much more perturbing. The fellow inhabitants, each battling their own mental struggles, further amplify the film’s unsettling atmosphere. And as much as I wanted a little more sustenance in the introduction, Skoglund is able to ensnare your interest in the story just enough where the ensuing scares are undeniably effective and skin-crawling.

Not to mention, the performances anchor the film’s emotional core. Oros excels as Joel, portraying a detached yet quietly unraveling son whose restrained demeanor contrasts with the supernatural turmoil unfolding around him. His chemistry with Erdogan makes their dynamic as estranged best friends feel authentic, while Lily Wahlsteen’s Olivia—a young, indifferent caretaker—adds further depth to the film’s exploration of lifelong trauma and unresolved guilt. But the real gem within The Home is the palpable suspense that permeates the film. From start to finish, Skoglund strategically directs us through a rat maze of supernatural occurrences and human emotion that blend together in a mixture of terror, grief, and the unrelenting feeling of inadequacy.

Unfortunately, with so much going for The Home, it fails to truly capitalize with its ending. While thematically resonant, its execution leaves something to be desired. The ending leans more toward a groan-worthy resolution rather than a truly shocking or satisfying conclusion. Nevertheless, I was thoroughly engrossed with Skoglund's fast-paced and terrifying adaptation of Strandberg's novel, along with Oros' steady lead performance. Some slight technical gripes aside, The Home was a film that terrified, saddened and maddened, exactly the kind of emotional cocktail that great horror should deliver.

Froth

While there are no vampires here, another slight difference from Let The Right One In, there's enough supernatural horror to justify pairing The Home with Cloudburst Brewing's Vampire Empire. Equally as dark as Skoglund's film, this Baltic Porter is a stunning balance of light refreshing drinkability and the dark roasty nectar of the night. It holds a relatively strong boozy taste, but the chocolate and roasted malt flavors deliver an offsetting sweetness that turns it into a lighter beverage. There's even a nice bit of fruit that swoops in on the finish consisting of dates, raisin and plum which in turn give a nice earthiness. Overall, Vampire Empire is yet another notch in Cloudburst Brewing's belt of beers that are awesome because I can't remember the last time I had a bad beer from them. Maybe that says something about how much beer I drink but that's neither here nor there. Cloudburst has once again, delivered the goods and the Vampire Empire is a perfect companion for some darker films that you might have waiting in your queue, ready to watch next.