But instead of building on the momentum established by the first act’s atmosphere and frights, the horror wanes as the familiar family story takes precedence. It resonates most when it focuses solely on Oliver’s interactions with his peers and bully Byron (Winslow Fegley). The more that’s revealed about Oliver and Byron’s history, the more emotionally complex and interesting the pair become. It’s the emphasis on mom’s flaws that undermine what works well about Oliver’s story. Sarah’s overprotectiveness and all the mistakes it’s caused, past and present, renders this story as more of a parable about the pitfalls of meddling parents whose well-intentioned actions can do more harm than good. Even worse is that it’s superficially told, adding a tedious familiarity to the narrative. It builds to a reasonably dark finale for an Amblin production, though its closing moments do tug at the heartstrings nonetheless.