Welcome Home (2018)

Directed by: George Ratliff | 98 minutes | thriller | Actors: Emily Ratajkowski, Aaron Paul, Riccardo Scamarcio, Katy Louise Saunders, Alice Bellagamba, Francesco Acquaroli, Evgeny Krylov, Igor Mikhaylov, Robert Babin, Sam Mane, Nav Ghotra, Daphne Alexander, Federico Riccardo Rossi

A disintegrating marriage, a remote medieval monastery, a mysterious stranger. Anyone who knows a bit about his film genres knows that this is a horror film or (as in this case) a thriller. In ‘Welcome Home’, young couple Bryan and Cassie try to save something from their marriage by renting a renovated convent in Italy. But the holiday has barely begun when a stranger shows up, the mysterious Italian Federico.

As a viewer, you initially do not know why the marriage is so shaky and what Federico is up to. But soon we learn the answer to the first question and roughly the answer to the second. In that word ‘about’ lies the salvation of this thriller. We understand that Federico is not completely fresh, but whether he really means any harm and why… We only find out very late, but until then we are in (slight) tension.

Apart from that tension, ‘Welcome Home’ is all about atmosphere and beauty. The atmosphere of the medieval monastery and of the nearby old town, the beauty of the Italian province. And then there’s the beauty of actress Emily Ratajkowski (supermodel type) who plays Cassie. Her biggest hobby turns out to be showering, and because a film has to last at least an hour and a half, we get many shower scenes as filler. ‘Welcome Home’ thus tends a bit towards an erotic thriller, although he is a bit too good for that.

For a thriller, ‘Welcome Home’ is a remarkably modest film, without nervous music and shock effects. Also, not too much exciting happens in the first hour (except for taking a shower), but the threat is increasing. The last half hour then it goes wild, and the makers immediately let go of any logic and probability. Then this turns out to be a thriller full of plotholes, strange actions and a bizarre (but secretly nice) ending.

For example, ‘Welcome Home’ is a thriller that will be just fine for some, but not for others. A film that amuses and rarely bores, but that does not retain any quality. So that afterwards you feel more like taking a shower than to have a good thrill afterward.