Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

Year: 1981

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Nettie Peña

HorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsGory gruesome and slasher horrorGothic and eerie haunting horrorTerrifying haunted and supernatural horror

An escaped mental patient hijacks a station wagon and crashes the Bradley family’s Thanksgiving dinner, intent on turning their festive celebration into chaos. As the unsuspecting hosts sit down to eat, his violent plan threatens to ruin their holiday.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Home Sweet Home (1981)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Home Sweet Home (1981). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Los Angeles, California, Harold Bradley's ranch (outskirts of Los Angeles)

The story centers on a Thanksgiving gathering at Harold Bradley's ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The remote, rural setting creates isolation as a deadly intruder disrupts the holiday feast. The location shifts from a festive home to a crime scene, emphasizing vulnerability and danger in a familiar space.

🏚️ Ranch 🏙️ Suburban LA 🦃 Thanksgiving

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:56

Main Characters – Home Sweet Home (1981)

Meet the key characters of Home Sweet Home (1981), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Angel Bradley

Harold's young daughter who becomes a focal point for the stakes as the danger unfolds. Her presence anchors the survivors’ hope, and she helps trigger the police response, highlighting innocence caught in a terrifying situation.

👶 Innocence 🧭 Hope 🔒 Safety

Harold Bradley

The patriarch hosting Thanksgiving at the ranch. He embodies a protective yet controlling figure, taking measures to secure the house as the danger grows. His death marks the collapse of the holiday's image of safety.

🎩 Patriarchy 🛡️ Authority 🪓 Violence

Linda

Harold's girlfriend who participates in the social circle of guests. She remains actively involved in the tense dynamics and shares in the peril as the intruder cuts power and violence escalates.

💃 Socialite 🧭 Navigation ⚠️ Danger

Wayne

Harold's business associate who tries to locate Harold outside, only to become another victim of the intruder's brutality. His death underscores how plans unravel in a crisis.

🧭 Resourcefulness ⚖️ Business ⚔️ Conflict

Maria

Wayne's girlfriend who becomes one of the victims during the chaos inside the house. Her demise adds to the mounting fear among the guests.

💞 Relationships 🧭 Tension 🩸 Brutality

Mistake Bradley

Harold's son, a Kiss Army soldier, who meets a gruesome death involving his own guitar and amplifier during the siege.

👦 Youth 🪪 Identity 🔊 Noise

Jennifer

A guest who fights back against the intruder and hides from danger. Her resilience and bravery stand out as a beacon of strength amid the terror.

🗡️ Resistance 🧭 Strategy 💪 Courage

Scott

Harold's tenant who discovers Maria's body and later becomes a target himself. He attempts to secure the house, illustrating the desperation of survivors.

🧭 Protector 🗡️ Violence 🕯️ Fear

Gail

Linda's friend who becomes lost and is slain by the intruder. Her fate amplifies the danger beyond the main house and in the surrounding area.

👭 Connection 🧭 Loss 🔪 Brutality

Jay Jones

An escaped mental patient and PCP addict who sabotages the party, stalking the guests throughout the ranch. His unpredictable violence drives the tension until the police intervene.

🧠 Psych 😨 Fear 🔪 Violence

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:56

Major Themes – Home Sweet Home (1981)

Explore the central themes of Home Sweet Home (1981), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕯️ Staying Alive

The guests are thrust into a siege-like situation where survival hinges on quick thinking and courage. As danger closes in, ordinary routines crumble and people improvise to endure the night. The film uses the holiday setting to heighten the tension between safety and chaos, showing how fear can override reason.

🔪 Home Invasion

The house effectively becomes a trap as power is cut and doors are compromised. Strangers and acquaintances alike are forced into close-quarters confrontation with the intruder, transforming a feast into a violent fight for life. The intrusion exposes the fragility of security within a supposedly safe space.

👪 Family Ties

Tensions and loyalties within Harold's circle are tested under extreme pressure. The holiday gathering reveals how relationships can fray under fear, turning familiar faces into potential threats. The intrusion disrupts not just the night, but the fragile bonds of kinship and friendship.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:56

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Unlock the Full Story of Home Sweet Home

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Home Sweet Home Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Home Sweet Home, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Home Sweet Home Summary

Home Sweet Home Timeline

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Home Sweet Home Timeline

More About Home Sweet Home

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More About Home Sweet Home

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