House at the End of the Street is a thoroughly awful and unpleasant horror film, one that attempts to affect its unlucky audience by trading in abuse, sadism, and general human misery. It bears neither a hint of intelligence nor a smattering of subtext to justify its ugly, cynical nature, while the horrendous script, amateurish production, and wildly unappealing characters prevent any single moment from shining through as entertaining. At its very best, the film is tolerable. At its worst, it is offensive, a nasty experience that brutalizes the audience without an ounce of substance.

Jennifer Lawrence – who would not, I suspect, appear in such a film if it came along now, post-Hunger Games – stars as Elissa Cassidy, a teenage girl who has moved to a rural, forested area with her single mother (Elizabeth Shue). A horrifying tragedy occurred four years earlier at the house next door, when a young...