The main thing that struck me about Max Winslow and the House of Secrets is how kid-friendly it is. It would be the kind of movie I would bring my young child to (if I had one). Don’t get me wrong, it certainly isn’t sanitised. The themes the movie explores are heavy indeed, and when you reach the end, you will find yourself contemplating whether the end justifies the means. The feel of it definitely reminded me of early Disney films, suitable for children while retaining a socially relevant message.
The premise of the movie comes across like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where 5 students get selected for a visit to eccentric tech billionaire Atticus Virtue’s mansion, with the promise of getting said mansion if they win the competition. It becomes pretty obvious early one who will be the chosen ones, since they get special focus before Atticus Virtue (Chad Michael Murray) makes his big announcement.
Each character has some form of baggage to deal with: Max (short for Maxine) is still reeling from her father’s abandonment of her family when she was 5 years old; Sophia (Jade Chynoweth) spends most of her time thinking about her thriving social media accounts and how to maintain her following; Benny (Jason Genao) is a gaming addict; Connor (Tanner Buchanan) wants to go into music instead of playing lacrosse but doesn’t know how to tell his parents. Then we have Aiden (Emery Kelly), the one character we don’t really really get much information on until later. All we know at the beginning is that he’s a bully, but this is enough to give us a hint about his home situation – having a bully for a parent is how most bullies come about.
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Upon entering the house, they are instructed that a computer system named Haven (voiced with sinister aplomb by Martina Sirtis) is in charge of the house. As they begin to play the games the house has prepared for them, things get serious fast when they realise that these games aren’t as simple as rolling the dice in monopoly. Has the house gone rogue? Where is Atticus Virtue? (This movie could have used more Chad Michael Murray). Director Sean Olson does a good job at showcasing the sci-fi aspects of the house: The holograms, simulations, even the knight robot, all have a realistic look and feel. There wasn’t a moment where the visuals felt out of place.
The young cast do a decent job for the most part, and while Max’s character is a little bland, Sydne Mikelle does well in showcasing her vulnerability and holding down the fort as the lead. Buchanan plays her love interest, and the two muster up a chemistry that is just so pure. There are moments where I expected them to kiss but I liked that the film held back from such cheesy territory, after all, this is the first time they get properly acquainted.
At the end of the movie, Max Winslow and the House of Secrets wants you to consider the reach technology has, and whether this is a good thing or not. Earlier on, Virtue is able to make his announcement because he hacks into the school broadcasting system, a system he helped furnish. Max also hacks into her neighbour’s doorbell just to mess with him, while casually mentioning to her mom that she could very easily get rid of their overdue payments with a simple hack. Like her mom says, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Review screener provided.
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