The Beach House
Shudder | Release Date (Streaming): July 9, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
PolygonNoah BerlatskyJul 11, 2020
Writer-director Jeffrey Brown may not be an innovator, but he has a poetic knack for coaxing the old roots of dread into fresh, cancerous bloom. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerJul 8, 2020
The fact that Emily aspires to be an astrobiologist, fascinated by the study of extremophile life forms, is foreshadowing that could seem clumsy in a less crushingly doom-laden and exquisitely eerie story. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoJul 9, 2020
After a slightly rocky first act that succumbs to thin generational differences, Brown allows his slow burn to catch fire and doesn’t look back. You may be regretting not being able to visit the beach this summer. Maybe it’s for the best. Read full review
75
ConsequenceMichael RoffmanJul 7, 2020
The Beach House won’t be for everyone. Those coming in expecting a doozy of infections and balls-to-the-wall, gross-out horror will likely leave nursing a sunburn. But if you can appreciate those moments within what’s essentially a pandemic survival story, then you’ll walk away with a nice tan. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis HarveyJul 8, 2020
In any case, it’s skillful enough to satisfy most viewers, if not quite sufficiently original in concept or striking in execution to leave a lasting imprint. Read full review
69
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpJul 7, 2020
The Beach House plays an adept slow burn game. Brown fleshes his characters out nicely, giving them all ballast without worrying about whether we’d want to sit down for shellfish with them. Read full review
67
Original-CinLiam LaceyJul 8, 2020
What’s mildly interesting about The Beach House, the low-budget debut feature from Jeffrey A Brown is that, while human beings have their struggles and conflicts, the universe doesn’t much care. Read full review
67
The Film StageJared MobarakJul 6, 2020
I do think the second half of The Beach House proves an effective survival horror, but it is tough to really stick with the characters due to a lack of resolution before the chaos hits. Read full review
60
The New York TimesElisabeth VincentelliJul 8, 2020
After a dillydallying slow start, Brown ratchets up the tension efficiently, summoning a mix of gross-out body invasion, eco-mutation and large-scale cosmic dread on a small budget. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreJul 16, 2020
It’s not subtle, not particularly scary or suspenseful either. What The Beach House has going for it is dread, a feeling that rides along with it from its opening frames to the horror parable’s final image. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJul 10, 2020
The Beach House is a middling horror film with aspirations of recalling The Fog or The Mist but lacking the screenplay to come close to either. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineHenry StewartJul 6, 2020
The character drama becomes afterthought as it’s superseded by action. Read full review
40
Screen RantChris AgarJul 8, 2020
The Beach House has some suitably creepy moments, but it's ultimately hamstrung by an underdeveloped script that fails to connect with the audience. Read full review
More From This Movie

64 Critic Reviews

5.9 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL