Lead Me Home (2021) Review: Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk’s Doc Will Break Your Heart

Lead Me Home is a short film directed by Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk and has a runtime of 40 minutes.

Netflix describes the movie as:

Poignant stories of homelessness on the West Coast of the US frame this cinematic portrait of a surging humanitarian crisis.

– Lead Me Home review does not contain spoilers –

Lead Me Home is a look at the homeless problem in the US and provides a sympathetic outlook towards the lives of the people who have nowhere to go. No one should have to live out on the street and the short takes a stark and shocking look at the problems that surround the homeless in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Behind the glittery and swanky exterior of these beautiful places lies a problem that most won’t be able to comprehend. Lead Me Home can drive empathetic souls to tears when you hear that a person has to choose between having a home and putting food on the table. It’s not easy and it’s not fair.

The documentary gives us first-person interviews as well as sweeping drone shots and a look inside the places that the homeless call their homes. The state of affairs is horrid and people in business suits trying to create policies to help them seem fake. A debate scene will boil your blood. You learn who these people are – they aren’t just a number and all have a past, a very difficult present and an equally uncertain future. The documentary brings forth all of that in its 40-minute runtime.

Also Read: Netflix’s New World (Ep 3-4) Review: Magical Meteorite And Rich Real Estate

Although a devastating look, Lead Me Home shows the good and the bad life side by side. The juxtaposition is vivid and it won’t be lost on the viewers though. What’s not missing, however, is the fact that the short is shot so beautifully. It looks just wonderful and the nightlife, the glistening mornings and night falling on the city are absolutely wonderful.

It has a ton of time-lapses and, like me, if you love those, this one’s going to touch your heart. There’s an extended section where we, again, see the good and bad as Coldplay’s Midnight plays in the background. It’s haunting. But what’s more haunting are the questions that come after that. It gave me goosebumps.

Summing up: Lead Me Home

Lead Me Home

Lead Me Home made me rethink my life and be thankful for everything I have. It’s not enough, though, honestly. We, as a society, need to do better.

Lead Me Home is streaming on Netflix.

Also Read: Dexter: New Blood Episode 4 Review: Hero or a Villain?


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REVIEW OVERVIEW

Overall

SUMMARY

Lead Me Home is heartbreaking and will make you rethink and appreciate the life that you have right now.
Archi Sengupta
Archi Sengupta
Archi Sengupta, a writer for over seven years, is an Engineering graduate with a Master’s degree in Mass Communication. She enjoys watching horror movies and TV shows, Korean content, and anything that thrills and excites her.

3 COMMENTS

    • Telling ppl to work doesn’t solve the issue. The cost of living is substantially higher than the wages some are making causing many to decide between food or a home…did you even watch the documentary?

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Lead Me Home is heartbreaking and will make you rethink and appreciate the life that you have right now.Lead Me Home (2021) Review: Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk's Doc Will Break Your Heart