Unwelcome

The movie always looks fun, even when it’s shredding the nerves of its characters and audience.

Some of "Unwelcome" is legitimately creepy and upsetting. Some of it is hilarious. Whether or not the hilarity is intended is unclear.

There’s a fun creature feature nestled within a tonally disjointed, scattershot home invasion thriller that gives the title an unintended meaning.

Jon Wright’s unexpectedly fun home-invasion horror is built on fertile, if familiar, ground.

The picture works better when it keeps its monsters hidden, but swiftly descends into silliness once the far darrig show their ugly muppet faces.

It’s tonally a bit all over the shop, and could have been funnier or scarier — but when the supremely-constructed goblins show up, causing all manner of mischief, Unwelcome is a goofy horror treat.

Wright’s visual style feels less realistic, more timeless – like a Grimm fairytale – with a blood-red sky and lush, green backdrop for an exploration of multiple themes: fragile masculinity, British colonialism’s effect on the Irish

The prosthetics combined with low-budget visual effects don't always blend in smoothly with every scene but still offer a B film charm that aptly aligns with the feature’s comical tone.

Unwelcome is confused about the sort of movie it wants to be. Is it a culture-shock allegory with a tacked-on folk-horror motif? Or does it simply want to add its two cents to the age-old question, “Who’s the real monster here?”

When the film is building up to its Straw Goblins confrontation it is a welcome reprieve from the standard new homeowner with a monster problem genre. However it outstays its welcome with an unnecessary and lengthy epilogue well after its vengeful climax.