Home invasion movies

I’m all about the Panic Room and that insulin shock scene.

I like how Don’t Breathe flipped the script and the predators became the prey.

The Strangers is one of two films that have ever caused me any degree of fear in watching, for the without explanation randomness, but also because I was living in a rural area when I saw. It was situational fear in that it brought to the fore the irrational vulnerabilities of living in a remote house with no neighbors within sight or sound, with seven exterior doors, surrounded by woods and mountains.

Agreed, too the first part of the film is the effective part -- but isn't that the case with every horror film, especially a horror film set in a house?

(The other film was a different sort of horror film, Hopper's original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" which, when I was young, had a visceral sticky, stinky, wet nastiness about it and, again, something evil without explanation.)

Hush (2016) is another obvious choice. Good film from what I can remember.

I hate violent movies.

Ha ha, R4, I was just looking for an image from Hush! There is an argument to be made that it's Flanagan's best work.

This subgenre needs the protagonists to be smart and resourceful, and I like that. I hate it when horror movie plots require the characters to do stupid things.

[quote]This subgenre needs the protagonists to be smart and resourceful, and I like that. I hate it when horror movie plots require the characters to do stupid things.

That's actually a good point, R6. I think that's part of why "The Strangers" doesn't quite *fully* work IMO, because in the last half-hour the characters make some flagrantly ridiculous decisions, and the whole thing becomes too "Friday the 13th" (no offense—I love that series, but those are pure popcorn movies, whereas "The Strangers" was more of a cutthroat, hard-as-nails thriller). I saw "Hush" several years back but can't remember all of the details. I remember it reminding me quite a bit of "The Strangers", but with the added twist of the character being deaf. I need to revisit it.

I didn't see The Strangers but for some reason I saw the sequel and didn't much care for it. But I remember the protagonists behaved believably and made some good choices.

R8 while I did like the sequel, it is really tonally inconsistent with the first film—where the original goes "Friday the 13th" only in the last act, the sequel felt like "Friday the 13th"-style horror movie from beginning to end to me. The first is a lot more dour, more suspenseful I think, and a better film overall IMO. The sequel was fun for what it was, though. I wished Christina Hendricks had had a bit more screen time in it.

Thanks, maybe I'll check it out. Any more recommendations?

Isn’t there a movie about this that is actually called “Home Invasion”? Was on TV years ago.

Funny Games. Both versions.

You're Next

When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back

R2 Don't Breathe was such a disappointment and went on for way too long.

I remember this film and being infuriated by it. It's ugly and not entertaining.

Does The Invitation count??

Does Straw Dogs fall under this genre? It's been awhile since I saw it and I know there was a recent remake as well.

The Purge (original)

The scariest thing about The Strangers was when Liv was just standing in the kitchen and the camera panned to the left and you saw one of the strangers standing behind her.

The Desperate Hours (1955) is a wonderful film directed by William Wyler with Bogart as one of three escaped felons who target the suburban home of Frederic March. With the gorgeous Dewey Martin as another of the felons.

It was remade badly by Michael Cimino and starred Mickey Rourke and Anthony Hopkins.

Straw Dogs

I thought the first half hour of The Strangers was about as effective as any horror film ever has been. The slow, uneasy build of tension as the characters start to realize that something's not quite right was brilliantly done, but something happened midway through and I just stopped caring. It seemed like the strangers themselves had no urgency to them and that took away the threat. There were so many times where they could have easily killed one of their victims, but they didn't and that took away the element of fear for me. If one of them had been killed and only one was left to fend for their lives, that might have helped the movie for me. It seemed like most of the last 45 minutes of the movie were just the victims hiding under beds or in closets and repeat.

You're Next is one of the most fun horror films in recent memory. I had a blast with that movie. Suspenseful, a little creepy, but you have a great time.

I guess this movie has two names, Blind Terror and See No Evil staring Mia Farrow as a blind girl in at English Manor house. She goes out on a date and while she's gone the family she is staying with is all murdered, but she doesn't know until the next day. That's when the murder comes back to get a bracelet he lost and she has to evade him. There's a great scene where she's barefoot and steps on a piece of jagged broken glass and has to suppress her screaming so as not to give herself away.

A Clockwork Orange was a good, creepy home break-in film.

Love "Funny Games" (original and remake) and "Straw Dogs" (original only, really), too. R24, I am also a fan of "See No Evil" and for some reason never thought of it as a home invasion film, though it most certainly is. It's a truly underrated, atmospheric, spooky film with a great performance from Mia Farrow. I randomly found a copy of it on DVD for $3 at a Big Lots many years ago and had never heard of it. I bought it, and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I don't know why that film isn't talked about more—perhaps it's more well-known in the UK? I ordered the Indicator Blu-ray edition of it online last year and it looks great in high definition.

If you hate Eli Roth this won’t win you over but “Knock, Knock” was a sometimes interesting variation on the theme. Apparently it’s a remake of a 70s exploitation movie with Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp.

Another solid vintage home invasion flick: THE NIGHT HOLDS TERROR (55). Vince Edwards and John Cassavetes break into Jack Kelly's suburban home and cause mayhem. There's a lot of heat in this one.

Did anyone see that Hilary Duff as Sharon Tate movie? Since Once Upon a Time skirted the murder scene, I was wondering how they handled it in that movie? Especially the begging for the baby’s life, I can’t see Hilary handling something that intense.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

The end of Funny Games was devastating.

R20 beat me to it. My father was a Bogart fan, so I've seen most of his movies. This one scared the bejesus out me as a kid.

The Night God Screamed starring Jeanne Crain is a little seen home invasion movie. It's about Crain whose preacher husband is killed by a Manson like leader and they're sent to trial. Crain is babysitting the kids of the judge in charge of the case and the cult members begin to terrorize them. There's a great twist at the end, too. It never came out on DVD, but it was up on YouTube for a bit. A shame it can't seem to get a decent release.

It's still there. Definitely worth watching.

There was a really scary Alien home invasion film, a family is celebrating a birthday, the power goes off, breakers melted sparking. The guys go out and see the UFO and aliens, who see them. Really frightened me. Tried to find it on youtube but failed. Later turned out Dick Clark productions had a hand in it. None the less truly horrifying to me.

Has the infamous Woman in a Cage not been mentioned yet? If only for a thug James Caan.

Another classic Hollywood one is The Dark Past (1948) with a pre-Sunset Boulevard William Holden with spiky hair playing a murderous fugitive who takes a psychologist (Lee J. Cobb) and his friends hostage in a country cabin. It's one of Cobb's better performances because for once he doesn't chew the scenery. Also with Nina Foch, Steven Geray, Adele Jergens and Ellen Corby.

Oh the whole movie is on YouTube.

R36 - You mean Lady in a Cage. Olivia always played a lady.

Wait until Dark

THE STRANGERS is cheap and boring.

The "Best Ever" include:

BLACK CHRISTMAS HALLOWEEN

But since you've seen those, you really should check out YOU'RE NEXT, one of the best horror flicks of the 21st century.

KNOCK KNOCK is one of Eli Roth's best films, r27.

And it DOES NOT have as much gore as some of his other flicks, which is why people hate him.

Don’t Breathe ripped off a lot from People Under the Stairs.

r3 means Tobe Hooper.

I don't understand how BLACK CHRISTMAS and HALLOWEEN weren't the first movies mentioned on this thread.

Two of the most groundbreaking, influential films ever.

The Plumber (1979) is from Peter Weir, released after Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave.

A strange man keeps entering a woman's apartment, playing mind games and performing unnecessary plumbing work.

Does P.S. Your Cat is Dead count?

Extremities was some of the best movie work Farrah did and was a nice finish twist on the genre.

^^^ Feminist*

THE INVITATION. I was amazed by how well done this film is. You're Next? Meh.

I know this is an unpopular opinion because I know a lot of people loved The Invitation, but I truly hated that movie. The scenario seemed promising at first, but as it went on it all seemed so plasticine and lacking any semblance of reality. I found the characters indistinguishable and the dialogue ridiculously trite. I spent the majority of the first hour (which is incredibly dialogue-heavy) thinking to myself, "Who in the fuck actually talks like this?" You couldn't pay me to watch it again.

You’re Next was fantastic

Ils (Them) is a great French take on home invasion.

When a Stranger Calls

Key Largo.

The Owl and the Pussycat.

Isn’t there a Goldie Hawn movie where she invades Steve Martin’s house and becomes the guest from hell? We should include comedies as well. So, another to add would be The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Is that Housesitter?

I caught a movie on tv that was creepy. Can't remember it's name but it was about a family in a rural setting and a man in a white suit, who you think is some kind of traveling preacher. It's fairly recent.

I don't remember, does In Cold Blood cover the events in the Clutter house as they happen, or just the aftermath?

[quote] Isn’t there a movie about this that is actually called “Home Invasion”?

It wasn’t a movie, silly, it was a tv show.

There’s a decent British movie called The Blood Lands definitely worth watching (called White Settlers in the original UK release but Americans would have no idea what that means).

Gets a low rating but horror movies get pretty unfair treatment in that department. Very slow burn. Pollyanna McIntosh is in it.

The House on Sorority Row starring DL fave Eileen Davidson

The Blood Lands was the absolute worst, R63. If you give it even the slightest amount of thought after it's over, the entire plot falls apart completely.

[Quote] Did anyone see that Hilary Duff as Sharon Tate movie? Since Once Upon a Time skirted the murder scene, I was wondering how they handled it in that movie? Especially the begging for the baby’s life, I can’t see Hilary handling something that intense.

However they handled it, you know it was terrible.

Home Alone.

Do you think The Exorcist qualifies?

R68, yes. It does.

OP, I also love this sub-genre of suspenseful thrillers.

I also loved “Ills”, a French film that “THEM” was and is, oftentimes compared to. Actually, I liked it more, but both were scary AF.

The horror genre is also a favorite of mine, however, films like The Human Centipede are huge turn offs, especially because basic and advanced physiology, which physicians must study in order to become doctors in all of Europe and the United States, renders such an experiment impossible, due to histological differences between Asians and Caucasians. There would have been immediate rejection of varying tissue types sewn together, while in recovery, even before the victims would have immediately died of sepsis. When I saw the psycho doctor reject the truck driver because he was “not a match”, however, decide that the Asian dude was, I turned that shit off. It made zero sense, and empirical science supports this. Make films that validate the sciences and medicine, if you’re going to sew people’s mouths to people assholes! Lazy research/writing pisses me off.

I believe The Human Centipede does also qualify as a film under the scope of the “home invasion” genre, however, in the inverse. And I think that it is a more powerful portrayal of a home “invasion”, because home invasions are not characterized by who premeditates a crime, & enters a home in order to commit that crime, it is defined by a “home”, or a cabin in the woods, or an isolated farmhouse out in the country. The home in which the terror commences, is what makes the terror possible, and it becomes irreverent as to who “invades” the space in which the terror unfolds: be it the psychopath or the victim.

Another film which is EXCELLENT and blows most “home invasion” films away, is MISERY.

Masterfully executed. One of those films you don’t think of as a “home invasion” film, but is a perfect example, that home invasion isn’t just perpetuated via a psycho breaking and entering their target’s home. The target, or the victim, James Caan becomes a target/victim, by passively & unexpectedly, “invading” the home of his soon to be captor, due to circumstances beyond his or his captor’s control: bad fucking luck & shitty weather! And even in real life, we hear of stories like Ariel Castro & the girls who voluntarily entered his home under deceptive provocations, offered by the predator./home owner.

Hmm. Come to think of it, we too, are captivated as we watch these movies, because when you think about it, we, like the victims in these films, are held as captive audiences to well executed suspense films, by either being held captive in a theater we walk into, or are made to be captives inside our own homes when we invite films in, via streaming, or whatever other form we use to watch the film that “invaded” our personal spaces.

Anyhow, my favorite scene in Misery 👇🏽. Kathy Bates was just SO FREAKIN’ good as the psycho-Frau, and the fact that she was able to display her pathology in this scene, while simultaneously inducing sheer terror AND laughter is why she nabbed the Oscar for best actress that year. It’s also what makes Stephen King such a damn great writer. He’s the only writer who makes me actually LOL, when reading his books, because the man is funny AF.

IN COLD BLOOD was just about the aftermath. Capote interviews the killer in prison. Not a thriller at all.

But wait until they make movies about the Golden State Killer! Your home has never been so invaded ...

I'm sure one of them shows the killings. Maybe it was Infamous.

[quote]films like The Human Centipede are huge turn offs, especially because basic and advanced physiology, which physicians must study in order to become doctors in all of Europe and the United States, renders such an experiment impossible, due to histological differences between Asians and Caucasians. There would have been immediate rejection of varying tissue types sewn together, while in recovery, even before the victims would have immediately died of sepsis. When I saw the psycho doctor reject the truck driver because he was “not a match”, however, decide that the Asian dude was, I turned that shit off. It made zero sense, and empirical science supports this. Make films that validate the sciences and medicine, if you’re going to sew people’s mouths to people assholes! Lazy research/writing pisses me off.

This is the most hilarious critique of this movie I've ever seen. Thank you!

Look Who's Coming to Dinner