With a growing sense of suspicion and dread, this dramatic thriller builds wonderfully, sucking us into its tight web of fear ... until it turns into a standard horror film. Ruby and Rhett (Sobieski and Morgan) are teens when their parents (Wilson and O'Keefe) are killed in a car crash. They go to live with old family friends Terry and Erin Glass (Skarsgard and Lane), who live in a huge glass and concrete house overlooking Malibu Beach. At first they can't believe their luck--it's all too luxurious for words. But little things start making Ruby suspect that something is very wrong indeed.

The dark, moody cinematography and an insinuating directoral style set the scenes beautifully (if a bit obviously), laying on the creepy subtext so we can fully see why Ruby begins think she can't trust anyone or anything. It's all just too nice, too perfect. Maybe she's imagining it all. Then incessant thunderstorms start brewing outside--our first hint that the film isn't going anywhere particularly original. And like the similarly toned Arlington Road, the film abandons its clever, subtle plotting for a routine final third that is a huge letdown. Performances are all very good, although the villains get just a bit too villainous and Freddy Kreuger-like. It's a pity to see such solid acting and filmmaking talent wasted on such a badly Hollywoodised storyline.

themes, language, violence

26.Nov.01