December 19, 2024 · Watch the official trailer
When the world is on fire, what will individuals do and choose not to do in order to protect themselves and those they love?
It’s the moral and ethical question posed by “Homestead,” the fourth major film project from “The Chosen” television series producer Angel Studios, which released in theaters this past weekend.
Aside from its newer independent producer, the thing that makes “Homestead” exceptionally unique is the decision to have the film serve as a launching point for a television series streaming exclusively on Angel’s own independent service, which offers audiences almost instant ability to watch the larger story unfold.
Yet this decision also hamstrings director Ben Smallbone and writers Phillip Abraham, Leah Bateman, and Jason Ross from creating an insular, complete story that allows audiences to feel a sense of catharsis and the end-credits teasers of what’s to come mirrors Kevin Costner’s “still-to-come” reel at the conclusion of “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,” leaving viewers feeling a bit empty and longing for resolution.
“Homestead” follows several different families in the immediate aftermath of a nuclear attack on Los Angeles seeking refuge in the Rocky Mountains at a pseudo-survivalist mansion fortress known as Homestead. Although events leading to their arrival there are somewhat arduous, the film is less concerned about what is happening in the larger geo-political environment than the four-mile radius in and around the property.
That being said, “Homestead” far exceeds the production and cinematic quality of other conservative independent films that are released in theaters and while the narrative leaves a ton of plot holes, it makes sense that the open-ended nature of a lot of storylines are meant to be addressed down the line.
One of the film’s executive producers and stars, Neal McDonough has always been a steady on-screen presence though he rarely finds himself with scripts worthy of his work. The “Homestead” screenplay rarely does him any favors though his compassionate, yet hard and rugged Ian does admirably lean into a Kevin Costner-esque persona that many audiences will relate to “Yellowstone” and/or “Horizon.”
Bailey Chase as the film’s main protagonist keeps a distance from viewers that probably underlies the secretive nature of his Jeff’s military past, which will likely be mined for far richer character development in the series than it is here.
The film’s larger ensemble cast do get various degrees of character development that are less interested in telling the full story of “Homestead” than setting up secondary plotlines for the series and the way Smallbone wanders back and forth among the storylines has a decidedly more “made for the small screen” tone. For example, there’s a structural decision made to given Dawn Olivieri’s Jenna voiceover narration in advance of key moments in “Homestead” that feel woefully out of place in a stand-alone movie but are likely a significant aspect to the larger series.
While it’s easy to quibble with the film’s languishing and overly bland screenplay, it feels like “Homestead” is going for more of a vague nature in general to not write themselves into a corner from a storytelling perspective as they try to extend the world of “Homestead” into what can only be several seasons and perhaps another film or two.
The most engaging aspects of “Homestead” come from the moral/ethical dilemmas the survivalist premise poses about isolating from the outside world and viewing others as potential threats versus a more compassionate, welcoming position of treating ones’ neighbors as they would themselves.
“Homestead” definitely serves its intended audience well, especially those fans of other Angel Studios films like “Sound of Freedom” or the recent “Bonhoeffer” biopic. More casual audiences may consider waiting until the film is available to rent on demand or until more episodes of the affiliated series are released.
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