During a time when reboots and sequels are all-the-rage, it's difficult to unearth original, entertaining projects. This is something that's especially prevalent in family-friendly movies. It certainly isn't the case in the world of animation, which is constantly churning out creative and authentic new projects every year for the family to enjoy. But, the cinematic world of family-friendly live-action, on the other hand, rarely sees something that isn't based on familiar source material nowadays. Thankfully, director Sean Olson's latest sci-fi adventure film is here to bring something new to the table, even if it doesn't quite hit the mark as some would hope. Max Winslow and the House of Secrets relishes in its imaginative storyline, but it's ultimately a forgettable, albeit fun, family-friendly adventure.
The story centers on Max (Sydne Mikelle), an anti-social teenager with a knack for coding, who's stuck in a bit of an emotional rut as society speeds around her. One day, her world is turned upside down when an eccentric billionaire by the name of Atticus Virtue (Chad Michael Murray) appears on the school's computers to make an announcement. 5 students will be randomly chosen from the school to compete in a series of challenges in order to win a mansion - but not just any mansion, his mansion. As expected, Max is one of the five students chosen to participate in this mysterious challenge, but winning the grand prize will be no easy feat.
Alongside Max is a slew of other characters that all fit into very stereotypical high school archetypes. There's Connor (Tanner Buchanan), the misunderstood jock, Benny (Jason Genao), the obsessive gamer, Sophia (Jade Chynoweth), the narcissistic and social media-obsessed popular girl, and Aiden (Emery Kelly), the too-cool-for-school skater/internet troll. Each is determined to win, no matter what it takes. When they arrive at the mansion, they're greeted by a charismatic AI system named Haven (Marina Sirtis) who helps guide them through the challenges. Each one starts small and slowly becomes more complex as the film goes on, with most of the challenges brought to life by some well-done visual effects. Eventually, each step forward results in Haven becoming even more involved with their competition, for better or worse.
These are the moments when the movie reaches its peak. Sirtis brings an unnerving energy to Haven that helps to elevate Jeff Wild's script when it falls flat. But, even with Haven providing some very unsettling introspective moments to the film, cheesy writing on top of familiar plot devices makes Max Winslow fall short of being a family-friendly success story. Its narrative, which feels strikingly similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a little bit of The Breakfast Club sprinkled on top, feels almost too comfortable in its archetypes. Still, it finds its footing when it comes to Haven and the challenges within the house. It's these scenes, in particular, where the film takes a daring leap from the familiar territory it's treading and finds great success. As a viewer, it's something you long to see more of, and ultimately, leaves you a little disappointed in the lack of it by the end.
These scenes with Haven are few and far between right-off-the-bat, with the eager-to-win-teens taking center stage most of the time. Thankfully, each one is truly reveling in their respective roles. This is especially true for Chynoweth's Sophia, who steals the show as the self-absorbed social media influencer. As each character slowly begins to gather points, Haven's presence begins to loom a little larger over the narrative, causing these teens to unravel at the seams. Thankfully, they still manage to keep their characters interesting, finding plenty of ways to round them out and make them a little more complex than the stereotypes they're doled out at the beginning. Unfortunately, Murray's charismatic inventor rarely makes an appearance up until the very end, which certainly feels like a waste of potential after seeing the entertaining possibilities with Haven.
Ultimately, Max Winslow is a fun but forgettable movie. The performances are exceptionally entertaining to watch and listen to, especially Sirtis' Haven, along with the effects being visually impressive. Unfortunately, its script treads on ground that feels all-too-familiar, rarely taking the leap to try something new. It's a daring move to create something original that stands out from the rest of the cinematic world, and when Max Winslow and the House of Secrets takes those small leaps into moments of genuine suspense, it sticks the landing incredibly well.
Max Winslow and the House of Secrets opens in select theaters on Friday, April 24. It is 98 minutes long and not yet rated.