On the surface, the Tiny House Project is an example of altruistic outreach with the goal of providing homes for the disenfranchised. It is apparently the brainchild of the entrepreneur Mark Robinson. But appearances may be deceiving in this well-crafted thriller.
The strength of the film was in the shape-shifting characters who do not appear at all as they seem at first glance. As the film progresses, secrets are revealed about the reality buried beneath the surface.
Ella Willis and her daughter Lucy move into a beautiful rambler home courtesy of Mark Robinson's Tiny House Project. But Ella is sullen and mean-spirited, as well as ungrateful for the opportunity to get out of a greasy motel. Eventually, however, we learn that Ella paid a "premium" for the new living accommodations, and her benefactor Mark has a lot of explaining to do.
There are multiple layers as well to the neighbor Sasha, especially when we see her burning some trash. She is hiding secrets from her neighbor Roxanne, whose daughter Macie has concealed the identity of her boyfriend from her mom. In turn, the boyfriend Ryan is also a chameleon whose disrespect for Macie is truly appalling.
The film's ending sequence was imaginative in the melodramatic revelations about Mark and his business associate John Carter. There was also a 180-degree pivot of Ella from a grumpy tenant into a model citizen. There are such drastic character reversals that the actors deserve much credit for making the transformations believable.
In the end, the Tiny House Project, which appeared to be a disaster, has a transformation of its own and surprisingly becomes a roaring success!
The strength of the film was in the shape-shifting characters who do not appear at all as they seem at first glance. As the film progresses, secrets are revealed about the reality buried beneath the surface.
Ella Willis and her daughter Lucy move into a beautiful rambler home courtesy of Mark Robinson's Tiny House Project. But Ella is sullen and mean-spirited, as well as ungrateful for the opportunity to get out of a greasy motel. Eventually, however, we learn that Ella paid a "premium" for the new living accommodations, and her benefactor Mark has a lot of explaining to do.
There are multiple layers as well to the neighbor Sasha, especially when we see her burning some trash. She is hiding secrets from her neighbor Roxanne, whose daughter Macie has concealed the identity of her boyfriend from her mom. In turn, the boyfriend Ryan is also a chameleon whose disrespect for Macie is truly appalling.
The film's ending sequence was imaginative in the melodramatic revelations about Mark and his business associate John Carter. There was also a 180-degree pivot of Ella from a grumpy tenant into a model citizen. There are such drastic character reversals that the actors deserve much credit for making the transformations believable.
In the end, the Tiny House Project, which appeared to be a disaster, has a transformation of its own and surprisingly becomes a roaring success!