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[BD Review] ‘Home Invasion’ Is Rough On Duff
What is more horrific than a Lifetime movie? Right! There aren’t many things. Home Invasion, starring Haylie Duff, C. Thomas Howell and Lisa Sheridan, was originally just that. It’s a simple story: Jade (Duff) wants to ruin Nicole’s (Sheridan) life because Nicole killed Jade’s boyfriend. Of course, this was in self defense after he and his buddy, Ray (Howell), broke into her home and threatened both Nicole and her foster daughter.
Home Invasion is basically a thriller in the realm of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, but, as stated above, made for TV. For the most part, everything that Duff’s Jade does is a wee bit farfetched. Her antics range from poisoning the buffet at Nicole’s newly opened restaurant to burning the place down and planting evidence at Nicole’s house. Sure, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but for Jade to pull of everything she does in the movie would take someone a bit more intelligent than the character that is presented.
For a TV movie, and especially one that aired on Lifetime, Home Invasion isn’t particularly horrible, but also isn’t Oscar worthy. For the most part, I actually enjoyed seeing how over the top it would go. However, the most entertaining aspect is watching Haylie Duff’s acting. For 80% of the film, Duff’s expression remains the same – pouty lips and slightly flared nostrils with arched eyebrows (and perfect hair throughout). While Sheridan’s acting might be stiff at times, she at least appears to be the part. Supporting cast varies on their acting abilities, as well. Yes, the script is campy and Howell’s portrayal of Ray, a thug with neck tattoos, is a bit laughable. The worst, sadly, has to be Kyla Dang as foster daughter Abigail. Someone’s parents need to make sure they’re banking this money for college.
MTI Video is releasing Home Invasion and other films like it on DVD. Is it worth buying? No, I can’t say it is. However, if this one shows up on Netflix and you enjoy cheap women based cable station films – plus you like seeing Haylie Duff in bad situations (Did you see her on Sons of Anarchy? This girl can’t win!) – then definitely throw Home Invasion on to watch. At least you can kill an hour and a half.
After scaring up a strong theatrical run, Oddity director Damian McCarthy’s Hokum heads home to Digital this week.
Settle in for a spooky supernatural chiller as Hokum arrives on all Digital platforms to rent or own beginning June 2, followed by a Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD Combo and DVD release on August 11, 2026.
Adam Scott (“Severance”) stars in Hokum as reclusive novelist Ohm Bauman. When he retreats to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, the staff’s tales of an ancient witch haunting the honeymoon suite take hold of his mind. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance draw Ohm into a nightmarish confrontation with the darkest corners of his past.
Peter Coonan (“The Alienist: Angel of Darkness”), David Wilmot (“Station Eleven”), Florence Ordesh (“Departure”), Michael Patric (“Frontier”), Will O’Connell (“Game of Thrones”), Brendan Conroy (“Bodkin”), and Austin Amelio (“The Walking Dead”) also star.
Get a peek at the upcoming physical media release below, including a few special features.
Spooky Pictures’ Roy Lee (Weapons) & Steven Schneider (Insidious) produce alongside Image Nation’s Derek Dauchy (Late Night with the Devil), Tailored Film’s Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde, & Mairtín de Barra, and Cweature Features’ Ken Kao & Josh Rosenbaum.
I wrote in my review for Bloody Disgusting, “A quaint Irish hotel with a deeply haunted history awaits an American writer in McCarthy’s third outing, continuing his streak for folkloric tales of supernatural karma and spine-tingling terror with a dark sense of humor.”
What’s next from Damian McCarthy? He’s currently writing a haunted house movie, but recent comments suggest he may be moving into other genres beyond that upcoming project.
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