A struggling screenwriter takes his family to an isolated home (because that always goes well) in You Should Have Left, the latest from writer/director David Koepp.
Theo’s life was on the upswing. His last screenplay was a hit and his family had weathered an unnamed accusation. Another successful movie just might put the whole thing behind them, so when a fancy house in the countryside becomes available for an extended stay, the family packs their bags and heads off to spend some quality time together. When they get there, though, they find the house isn’t the respite they envisioned.
The real question here is how much this will lean towards psychological horror versus jump-scare laden, straightforward horror. Trailers always make this difficult to suss out, as they tend to cram in every obvious horror beat to get as many people to show up as possible. But Koepp (Secret Window, Premium Rush) isn’t one to hit the lowest common denominators.
Nor does straightforward horror normally come with an accomplished leading duo like Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried, who will be carrying this story of a secluded breakdown. Whatever the hell this ends up being, their faces will likely be enough to get people to check it out on VOD.
And to clarify, this isn’t a VOD dump; this is the latest in Universal’s premium online releases, so maybe it really is good?
You Should Have Left is directed by David Koepp and stars Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried. It will be released on VOD in the US on June 18th, 2020. Further release dates are not currently known.
Will you check this one out? Let us know in the comments!
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.