This was a bit disappointing because I think it was mis-rated. It's an R that really should have been PG-13. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) are not having a good night. First, Kristen turns down James' proposal and then three masked strangers terrorize them at their home.
That's it. That's the premise. Two people in a house, three people outside the house keeping them from leaving. There's almost no actual violence. All the menace comes from the anticipation of violence and the deep-seated fear of one's home no longer being safe. It's effective enough but it really didn't need the R-rating. It just comes off as a little bit simple because there's no real backstory. This couple didn't wrong anyone, or participate in any kind of nefarious deal that blew back on them, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm sure that kind of random targeting is frightening to people (even though statistically you are much more likely to be killed by someone you know) but it made the film seem very one-note. Also, there were some plot holes that just seemed a bit sloppy.
Overall, I think this film had a lot of potential that was just kind of wasted.
No comments:
Post a Comment