Review: 'Push' is a Blanket Gripping Home Invasion Horror Thriller

The uttering of the words "home invasion" often sends people into a rightful state of paranoia. There's nothing supernatural about people breaking into homes with the intent to steal or harm occupants. And horror and or thriller films perfectly can sometimes capture just how human these acts are. In the case of Push, it's undoubtedly more difficult when you are 8 months pregnant and alone. 

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Push is set in the early '90s and follows a woman who is 8 months pregnant and is doing it alone due to the death of her fiancé. After moving to America, Natalie (Alicia Sanz) takes on an impossible home listing in attempts to sell it. But soon enough, she finds herself fighting for her life when a man breaks into the house. It's an uncomfortable experience watching this man move around the home and eventually begin to violent pursuit. A pursuit that has no explanation for the majority of the film. 

Both David Charbonier and Justin Powell serve as directors and writers for the film and like their previous horror film (The Boy Behind the Door), Push is very driven by its protagonist. Only this time it's not about children and is about a woman and her desperate need to survive. 

Just like many other home invasion horror films, when there's a lack of motivation or a proper explanation as to why things are happening, it's creepier. If the victim has no personal ties to the attacker, then it makes what's happening even more unsettling. And Push isn't afraid to make its audience uncomfortable with that fact. Natalie's vulnerability as a pregnant person in premature labor also adds to why it's so uncomfortable to watch. She's not written to be incapable of survival, though, and she fights back against the Client (Raúl Castillo).

As the film builds up to the Client finally making his move, there are more than a few moments where the audience will be begging for her to notice him in the background. Natalie moves around the enormous house, in which isn't well lit, and is forced to call a car repair man when her car magically doesn't start up. But just like in most horror films, the person who comes around to help Natalie does get killed by the Client outside. Is it an incredibly obvious moment? Absolutely it is. And the film does fall into many tropes throughout its runtime, but that doesn't mean it's not worth your time. 

Push doesn't break the mould as far as home invasion horror goes, it's relatively paint by numbers with a pregnancy twist involved. It's not as creepy as The Strangers (2008),  not as scattered as Them (2006), not as brutal as Inside (2007), or as darkly comedic as You're Next. The film has flavors somewhat similar to Mike Flanagan's Hush (2016) in how its killer is deranged. Not to mention how it didn't matter who was living there, the killer would have broken in regardless. 

Throughout Push it becomes clear that Natalie will do whatever it takes to keep her and the baby safe. She crawls around in tight spaces, sustains wounds, falls out of a window, and endures all of this while in labor. After losing her fiancé in a horrible accident, it's clearly that Natalie wants to give the baby a decent life. As well as allow herself to start over. The emotional beats help break the tension momentarily in Push, but they thankfully don't get to the point of cheesiness. 

In terms of the performances from the main cast, Sanz (El Cid) does a fantastic job as portraying a woman that isn't merely in peril. She's also in survival mode and is facing an incredibly stressful and potentially deadly situation. There's a strength that she gives Natalie, and it makes her feel more real as a protagonist. Meanwhile, Castillo (Smile 2) makes the Client incredibly deranged and relentlessly violent in his pursuit of Natalie. It feels more personal than it should be, and it only makes the audience root for her more. 

A small cast in this case does the film a service, and it keeps the focus primarily on Natalie. Instead of throwing in a lone man trying to play savior to the pregnant woman. And while Push isn't perfect, it does get some things right, and that happens to be one of them. 

Without spoiling too much, Natalie's circumstances only become more complicated as soon as she has a moment to breathe. The fact that the film is set during a time when there were no androids or iPhones also lends to the stressful nature. Natalie can't call an Uber or alert her loved ones about her condition with a few taps on a screen. But as soon as she's brought to the hospital, after having to shoot her attacker because the police that arrive end up being useless, she does end up receiving medical care. 

The hospital sequences in Push are where the movie starts to falter a tad in terms of the writing. The Client's persistent pursuit of Natalie gets to be a little more redundant than anything else. And while that can be chalked up to him being a violent man, it's not enough to stretch the film further than it needs to be. Combine that with his confusing backstory about his connection to the house, and it's a bit of a head scratch.

Though as soon as the film ends, it's like there's as much of a sigh of relief for us as there is for Natalie. She gets to leave with her son, the attacker is vanquished, and there's no surprise survival. It's not a perfect ending because she does something that feels a little unrealistic in the grand scheme. However, a traumatic night like that does leave an individual in a certain frame of mind. 

Push might not take many big swings as far as its writing goes, but it'll keep the attention of nearly anyone who enjoys home invasion horror thrillers. If you're a fan of the films previously mentioned, you'll find this to be an enjoyable and creepy watch. And if you want something to turn on for an evening alone, all while you make sure all your doors are locked, you might not be disappointed with Push. All in all, it's a film to throw on if you're craving a home invasion flick that has a certain angle to it. Remember to keep your doors locked and keep your eyes peeled. 

Push drops on the streaming platform Shudder on July 11th. 

(image credit: Shudder)