The final scene of a film can make or break a viewing experience. The coda that a filmmaker places on their story can be an opportunity to reinforce central themes, bring their viewer’s emotional experience to a crescendo, or sometimes subvert expectations in a way that leaves us questioning all that came before. We experienced all three of these as the credits rolled on “Forever Home” (2023), directed by Sean Oliver and co-written with Drew Leatham. Sadly, for us, it was too little too late, offering us a tantalizing peek in the final moments at a more captivating story than the one that preceded it.

What’s It About?

A young couple unwittingly spends all their money on a new home only to discover that it’s haunted. After inviting a medium into the house, they learn a terrible secret that puts not only their lives, but their afterlives at risk.

What’s The Verdict?

We should put our main critique of “Forever Home” front and center here, so readers can decide for themselves how much it will apply to their viewing experience. Oliver’s film is a horror-comedy that is heavy on the comedy. Ultimately, we just did not find the film to be that funny. The jokes come fast and frequently and are mostly absurdist in nature. We could imagine a world in which the humor and plot of “Forever Home” is condensed down into a five-minute skit on Saturday Night Live (1975). Honestly, it might have worked much more effectively for us had this been the case.

Humor is subjective, and unfortunately, the humor of “Forever Home” just never landed for us. But if exaggerated accents, manic energy, and aggressive levels of quirk tickle your funnybone, your experience with “Forever Home” might be very different than ours. The humor of Oliver’s film can best be distilled through the characterization of Max (Cody Hunt), who is Jules’ (Sammie Lideen) eccentric brother. He shows up ten hours after they’ve moved into their new home (he’s unpredictable!), having discovered their location by threatening their realtor (he’s wacky!), and within minutes is soaking his bare feet in their kitchen sink while recounting his tale of being fired from his job in Mexico and needing a place to crash (he’s silly!) If, like his sister and his brother-in-law Ryan (Drew Leatham), you find yourself chuckling and rolling your eyes at good ole Max and his antics, this may be your film. We found ourselves cringing or smiling uncomfortably, wondering if we were missing the joke.

Further underscoring the style of humor is the music, which reminded us of early Nickelodeon-style sitcoms. Whimsical violins, flutes, and trumpets play alongside the antics of the main characters, guiding the audience along their viewing experience and suggesting when to laugh. It gives the movie the feel of a children’s program, perhaps even an episode of the classic “Are You Afraid Of The Dark” (1990). However, the jokes and content are more adult in nature, leaving us confused about who exactly the target audience is.

When they lean away from the wacky hijinks, we found ourselves settling into our surroundings more comfortably and quite enjoying the time we spent with these characters. Leatham and Lideen have a quiet and captivating chemistry that lends their relationship a strong air of relatability and appeal. As they become more accustomed to the ghostly presences in their home, the film allows the characters, both living and dead, moments to bond and add depth to their dynamics. A haunted house story rarely gives room for genuine relationships to build between the protagonists and their spectral companions. Leading up to the aforementioned finale scene, which is emotionally expressive and powerful, these are the elements of the film we connected with the most. Unfortunately, these relationships were deprioritized in favor of humor and diluted scares that were far less captivating.

The basic premise of “Forever Home” is clever, and the creators deserve credit for putting a unique spin on the haunted house story. A couple begrudgingly learning to coexist with the haunted inhabitants of their new home isn’t entirely fresh, but it is uncommon enough to serve as a captivating hook. The movie goes to great lengths to create a broad range of spectres. We get to know two mischievous children, a melancholy (and mysteriously water-logged) cellist, a suzie home-maker type with a splitting headache (for reasons to be revealed), and even a disembodied hand that lives inside the toilet (it’s as gross as it sounds). The creativity on display is clear, but again, the film’s sophomoric humor tends to prevent these characters from making much impact.

Final Words:

“Forever Home” is a horror-comedy that unfortunately fails to deliver on either front. For fans of hyper-silly, slapstick humor, there may be some laughs to be had as our protagonists fumble their way through their new haunted home, but we were left cold as a corpse by most of the jokes. The indie filmmaking spirit is strong in Oliver and Leatham’s film. The joy they had making this film shines brightly throughout. The actors clearly had an absolute blast making this film together. That energy can be infectious at times when the characters are given room to breathe and connect meaningfully with one another. The final act of the film explores nuanced, loving themes that we wish had been spread more throughout the rest of the movie. The kernels of a fun, ghostly story are here, but the film ultimately fails to manifest its potential, leaving us ready to put this particular home back on the market.

“Forever Home” is available on UK digital on April 20, 2026, from Miracle Media