Michael's Movie Grade: C+
Review: An effective little thriller. Nothing fantastic, but still fun.
What makes this movie work is the characters. Truth be told, they are not in any way deep or complex, but the do their jobs well. Our protagonists are quite likable. We believe and like these characters and therefore we don't want to see anything bad happen to them. The villains on the other hand are delightfully creepy. They feel like a real threat and they are not in anyway people we want to run into in a dark alley. This is all helped by fantastic performances from the whole cast. While all the performances are good, Gabrielle Union as our main protagonist and Richard Carbel as a very creepy bad guy are especially effective. Another thing I like about this film is its use of off-screen violence. Some might complain about this making the movie too toned down to receive a PG-13 rating, but I feel it is very effective. The most violent acts are not shown to us on the camera. This like is often seen in old Hollywood movies, often makes the movie more intense and the scene more disturbing. This effect is used very well here and I wish it was used in more films today.
On the downside this is a very by the numbers suspense movie. Anybody familiar with the genre can tell what is going to happen, and will have moments that make them feel like they have seen this before. Not only is the story a very standard and simplistic one, but much of the visual filmmaking also feels very familiar. The way the camera moves is often just like it is in many suspense movies, and the lighting is also very familiar. Even the music has a feeling of familiarity. There is also some exposition dialogue that can feel painfully forced. This is also an over the top movie that for some could boarder on silly. This did not bother me, but I can see it bothering others.
This will never be considered a classic suspense movie, but for what it is it is a fun movie that is worth a watch.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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