The Hamiltons

When their parents are killed in a tragic accident, eldest Hamilton sibling David relocates  the surviving family members to a quiet California suburb and assumes the responsibility of caring for his orphaned siblings Twins, Wendell and Darlene, and youngest sibling Francis.
Francis sets out preparing a school project about his family and it is through his lens that we begin to realise  that something is very wrong in the Hamilton household...

Another day, another movie of gradual reveals that make review difficult.

We find out early on (very early on) that Wendell is attacking girls and tying them up in the basement, and it quickly becomes apparent that the whole family know about it.

We also learn that both Wendell and David work at the slaughterhouse... Mmmmm...

There is also something living in the basement, in a crate, something the family seem to both care for, and fear, something called "Lenny"; and it's implied from early on that Lenny is probably connected to the eventual fate of the girls the family kidnap.

Youngest sibling Francis is our main character, and it's clear that he isn't as comfortable with the arrangement as the rest of the family; what little character drama the movie has is drawn from him being torn between his family and his sense of right.

Interesting though it is, it's not terribly well made, the actors range from average to poor, and I know without checking that we are dealing with first time directors... Runs and checks... Yup!

There is a sequel "The Thompsons" which I'll check out - everyone involved will have had a few more movies under their belts by then, and it would be nice to see this done well.