Netflix has released the first trailer for The Last House, a tense new sci-fi thriller starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura, and it looks set to turn one of life’s safest places into a nightmare. Directed by Louis Leterrier (Lupin, Now You See Me, Fast X), the film follows a family who suddenly discover they are trapped inside their own home with no way out. Doors refuse to open, windows cannot be broken and a mysterious force appears to be keeping them sealed inside.
The trailer begins with Jason (Moura) and Ann (Lee) trying to understand what is happening as rain lashes outside. Days soon become weeks, then years, as food supplies dwindle and their children grow up entirely within the confines of the house. “What the hell is going on?” Ann asks, while Jason later wonders: “What if something out there is keeping us trapped?” The trailer also hints that this nightmare may not be limited to one family. Neighbours are seen holding up signs from nearby houses, suggesting it is not just them trapped, but possibly the whole world. By the trailer’s final moments, the mystery appears to point towards something even more threatening outside the walls, with a larger horror waiting beyond the glass.
Riley Chung and Noah Alexander Sosnowski play the family’s children, Ruth and Graham, with Emma Ho and Gabriel Barbosa portraying the characters later in life as the family’s isolation stretches across the years.
According to Netflix, The Last House explores both physical and psychological survival, asking how ordinary people would cope if they were suddenly cut off from the outside world with only the resources around them. To help bring that premise to life, the production worked with survival consultant Megan Hine to create realistic ways the family might adapt and endure. The house itself plays a major role in the story. Production designer Kevin Jenkins built a home that changes and deteriorates alongside its inhabitants, reflecting the passage of time as the family’s situation becomes increasingly desperate.
Leterrier also embraced a practical filmmaking approach, shooting much of the film on 35mm and relying on practical effects wherever possible. The director cited the grounded feeling of classic Steven Spielberg films as an inspiration, aiming to make the extraordinary situation feel as believable as possible.
For CultureCues, the premise alone is enough to grab attention. The idea of being trapped inside your own home is instantly unsettling, and the trailer wisely keeps many of its biggest mysteries hidden. There are shades of survival thriller, family drama and science fiction all wrapped together, with just enough revealed to leave plenty of questions unanswered. Most importantly, Greta Lee and Wagner Moura are brilliant actors, so this already feels like very strong casting. We will be tuning in, possibly from behind a pillow.
We have all had days where going home, locking the door and shutting out the world sounds ideal. The Last House may be the reminder to be careful what you wish for…
The Last House premieres on Netflix on 7 August. Watch the trailer below.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.