The Last House Standing (2020) User Reviews

Must watch!

[jackkennedy-71628 · 10/10 · 21 January 2021]

I'm a first time homeowner and throughout this documentary I found myself wishing I had seen this before buying my house. There are lots of questions I wish I had asked about resilience that I'm now kicking myself over. I now plan on doing what I can to prepare for the worst. While this film is a documentary you wouldn't be entirely wrong calling it "horror" either, considering all that can go wrong when disaster strikes is genuinely terrifying. If you own a home or are considering buying one YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS.

Will help consumers make smarter choices on home hazard-resilience

[resilienceaction · 10/10 · 21 January 2021]

This documentary adds to the growing evidence that the general public is in the dark when it comes to knowing how vulnerable their location and home is to natural hazards.

It also shows than when consumers have the awareness and knowledge to take matters into their own hands, that they can do things to protect their lives, home investment and valued possessions.

A must-view for everyone. Thank you for producing this.

So Many Things We Never Thought About

[jcohn-71652 · 10/10 · 19 January 2021]

The film pointed out so many things we never thought of when we bought our house. Now we are trying to figure out how to make the house safer. We also sat down and actually read what was in our insurance policy. People need to watch this and pay attention!

Will promote discussions on the impact of climate change and resilience

[sifary · 10/10 · 28 November 2020]

This film features very dramatic footage of the impact of recent weather-related disasters. As most people acknowledge, such events will only increase in severity and frequency due to global climate change. The film clearly shows how ill-prepared we are for what lies ahead. But it also serves as a call to action to change how and where we build our homes. Many thought-provoking ideas are presented on what need to stop doing and also what we should start doing to increase our resiliency, and live more safely in the future. Just wish this film could be required viewing for all home-owners, and those considering a home purchase as well.

Common Sense Construction vs Perpetual Destruction

[simonesimian · 9/10 · 13 December 2020]

Over time, humans have learned to regulate housing construction with building codes that protect property and people's lives. When it comes to climate change and development in vulnerable areas - common sense does not rule. Last House Standing clearly and definitively illustrates the problem with a very watchable documentary composed of many amazing drones shots and emotional interviews and scenes with homeowners. This film should be required viewing for architects, developers, home improvement companies, and anyone in the market for a residence in a vulnerable area - and lately it seems that everywhere is vulnerable. The Habitat for Humanity approach was most appealing for me; because it is modest yet very effective. With California burning every year, and relentless hurricanes and tornados, this extremely timely documentary is must viewing for anyone mildly interested in climate change - and planning and building that makes sense to meet the challenges ahead.

Something everyone needs to see...

[Evan1811 · 10/10 · 19 January 2021]

This films is nothing short of incredible. It provides valuable insight into the flaws our building codes have nowadays. Everyone who currently owns a home or is considering doing so needs to watch this. In a time where climate change is making natural disasters more intense and more frequent, you need to know what measures to take in order to protect yourself. Otherwise, like some of the folks featured in this film, you'll lose it all.

Resilient construction, resilient people

[orange_90 · 10/10 · 15 December 2020]

As someone who works in film, but has a degree in Civil Engineering, this eye-opening documentary had me completely geeking out. It tells the story of the increasingly frequent and damaging storms brought on by climate change through the voices of the people most affected. Whether the disaster is fire, earthquake, tornado, or hurricane, this compelling doc not only shows you what the aftermath of these storms is like for survivors, but also how we can build better more resilient structures. The event may have only occurred over a day or week, but it takes months or even years to rebuild. This doc asks, "What if we didn't have to rebuild?"

Be prepared

[lmichelle-08732 · 10/10 · 24 January 2021]

Nobody thinks it will happen to them. Seeing the stories of people who lost everything from a natural disaster really opened my eyes and motivated me to take action, especially since I live in a vulnerable area. You're rolling the dice wherever you live, which is why I would encourage everyone to watch this documentary.

A Must Watch

[bsos-21082 · 10/10 · 2 February 2021]

The Last House Standing is a poignant and eye opening documentary film that will bring into focus our need to consider our past, mother nature, and how we choose to build in the future. This film sheds light on some of the challenges we face with natural disasters on the rise due to climate change and what can be done to limit or reduce the widespread destruction we see after a severe weather event. The interweaving stories of disaster and loss highlight the need for greater public education about what can be done to mitigate such catastrophic damage and more strict building codes that enable structures to be more resilient. A must watch!

Can't Miss for homeowners and construction professionals!

[chrismarino · 10/10 · 2 February 2021]

The Last House Standing is the wakeup call needed for Homeowners, Policy Makers, and Construction Professionals everywhere! We simply can't afford to ignore any longer the devastating impact severe weather events have on homeowners and communities each and every year.. The economic, social and emotional impact is crushing and need not be. It's time for all of us to get educated and demand stronger construction codes in order to better protect our communities and the largest investment the average American makes in the community they live in. I strongly encourage people to watch this film and gain the knowledge needed to protect your home and loved ones before it's too late.

Concrete homes in the US are the future! I know the home builder!

[michaelwiiki · 10/10 · 24 November 2022]

This was a fantastic documentary! The need for resilient homes is so important. It's so heart-breaking being from Houston seeing the major destruction to homes and businesses near the Texas-Louisiana coast over the last 20 years. If you're wanting a resilient home like the one in Mexico Beach from the film, then reach out to Wes! You'll see his name listed in the credits at the end. Also, there is almost no wasted materials when building a concrete home vs building a traditional home. The amount of waste leftover from the concrete home building process only fills up about half a dumpster; it's crazy! We are in process of building a new website. In the meantime, search for 'Wes Vollmer concrete specialist' on Google.

Spectacular film! Welcome advice for any home owner.

[swinarton · 10/10 · 2 February 2021]

Before you buy or build in a beautiful place watch this documentary. Educate yourself, The Last House Standing will share with you some valuable information. Building techniques, understanding insurance policies, what is covered and what is not. This film covers it all. If people would build to the films standards and listen to engineers billions of dollars would be saved yearly.

Great Educational Film

[brianellis-01787 · 10/10 · 30 September 2021]

I really enjoyed this filmed and learned a lot. This film is very accurate and great interviews from the right people. The story about the last house standing on Mexico Beach is also quite remarkable.

Seeing is believing and hopefully a call to action

[karenstarr-45951 · 10/10 · 4 July 2023]

This is an excellent documentary. I am looking at remodeling a 2005 home because I want new countertops and a better design flow inside. I didn't even consider the importance of building for resilience, but after watching this film, I am going to find a builder that values going above and beyond the building codes for my area. I am going to look for the hazards in my community. When I bought my home (2021), I purchased flood insurance, even though I was not in a FEMA designated flood zone, when I saw what happened to the pond behind my home during a rain event. After a year, I decided it couldn't possibly reach my home in the Dallas area and talked myself out of renewing the coverage. I let myself become complacent because I saw the water levels go down pretty quickly when the water authority made an adjustment downstream. But, this happens with every rainfall. I'm calling USAA tomorrow and getting the flood insurance renewed again. The pictures and interviews in the documentary reminded me, this can happen to anyone. I was in awe of the woman that spoke to the Malibu city council. I just got my masters degree in emergency management and this is a film we should all watch.

I found your film through the podcast interview you did with John Scardena from the Disaster Tough Podcast. Why aren't we building back better?

Eye Opening Film!!!

[sharkmatic · 10/10 · 21 February 2021]

As homeowners, we are all a lot more vulnerable than we think. After watching the film, I actually went and read my insurance policy. It made me realize there's coverage I thought I had but I don't. I'm calling my insurance agent on Monday. Great film!

Consider Upgrades!!

[chip-70474 · 10/10 · 16 February 2021]

Even as a construction professional, I was shocked the power of these storms and the effect it can have on a community. Charleston, SC has been brushed by a couple by CAT 1 storms in the last few years, but not anything like the storms in the movie. After watching this as well as having an older house, I recently added a bunch of structural attachments during a renovation of part of my house. I will probably try and add some more next year.

This solution is a no brainer

[dianedfallon · 10/10 · 10 February 2021]

These types of materials should be required, especially in states like California, where the destruction of homes due to fires (the floods) is a yearly event, maybe more. For most people, a house is the biggest investment they will ever own, not to mention the cars in the garage and everything inside the house. Spend the money on the building materials. Too many people in California (where I live) live in vulnerable areas - beachfront properties, overgrown forestry, loose soil, terrible access, etc. It's much cheaper to pay upfront and build a fireproof home than face the dread every time you hear a fire engine.

The Last House Standing is a must see for not just homeowners, but developers as well. This should be playing on all the streaming services, with a fee to watch.

Thanks for making this. Excellent!