The Last House on the Left

Right now you can watch The Last House on the Left on Amazon Prime Video — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 1,975 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Tony Goldwyn sets the tone, and the ensemble matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Last House on the Left is worth clearing space for. The plotting gives The Last House on the Left its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. When athletic teen Mari Collingwood opts to hang out with her friend Paige in town rather than spend an evening in with her parents vacationing at the family's remote lake house, it marks the beginning of a night no one is going to forget. Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter lead a cast that never lets the mystery feel thin. It was released in 2009. What makes The Last House on the Left hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, The Last House on the Left will keep you hooked. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Tony Goldwyn anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.