STARRING: Scott Speedman, Jordana Brewster, Laurence Fishburne
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Synopsis:
Looking for a fresh start after a miscarriage, a couple find themselves being gifted the house of their dreams with one caveat - they can never open the cellar door. Whether they can live without knowing triggers shocking consequences.
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JOHN FRANCIS FOX
3 out of 5 stars
ATMOSPHERIC COMBINATION OF CRIME DRAMA & COMPELLING MORAL DILEMMA
November 6, 2024
DIRECTOR VAUGHAN STEIN & CINEMATOGRAPHER MICHAEL MERRIMAN HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CREATING A FILM THAT COMBINES A CRIME DRAMA WITH A COMPLEX MORAL QUESTION: SHOULD YOUR CONCERN FOR A VICTIM OF A CRIME TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER YOUR CONCERN FOR A LOVED WRONG- EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW THEY DID SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG? AND WHAT MAKES THAT QUESTION EVEN MORE COMPLEX IN THIS FILM IS THAT WE SEE AT THE BEGINNING HOW MUCH THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS- JOHN (SCOTT SPEEDMAN) & SARAH (JORDANA BREWSTER)- ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BIRTH OF THEIR BABY & HOW MUCH THEY BOTH SUFFER WHEN SARAH SUFFERS A MISCARRIAGE. WE ALSO SEE HOW MUCH THEY BOTH HOPE TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE WHEN SARAH TELLS EMMETT (LAURANCE FISHBURNE) , "WE REACHED THE END OF ONE STORY & ARE HOPING TO START A NEW ONE." AND THE AFFECTION THAT MS. BREWSTER & MR. SPEEDMAN SHOW TOWARDS EACH OTHER MAKES SARAH & JOHN'S DEVOTION TO EACH OTHER EVEN MORE BELIEVABLE & ALSO MORE DISTURBING WHEN WE SEE HOW JOHN'S BETRAYAL OF SARAH CAUSES HER SO MUCH PAIN- & ALSO INCREDIBLY DISTURBING WHEN WE SEE HOW THEIR INSISTENCE ON SECURING THEIR RELATIONSHIP CAUSES THEM BOTH TO DO TERRIBLE THINGS. AND THE FILM WOULDN'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT LAURANCE FISHBURNE' S DEPICTION OF A LOVING PATRIARCHAL FIGURE WHO WANTS TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE FOR A COUPLE WHOM HE HAS JUST MET. I ONCE HEARD MR. FISHBURNE BEING INTERVIEWED BY JAMES LIPTON, AND, DURING THE INTERVIEW, HE SAID THAT ROSCOE LEE BROWNE- HIS CO-STAR IN AUGUST WILSON'S "TWO TRAINS RUNNING"- CONVINCED HIM TO CHANGE HIS NAME FROM LARRY TO LAURANCE BECAUSE IT MADE HIM SOUND MORE AUTHORATIVE. HE'S CERTAINLY SUCCEEDED IN DOING THAT IN THIS FILM. HOWEVER, THE FILM STILL LEAVES US WITH A DIFFICULT MORAL DILEMMA: SHOULD WE STOP CARING ABOUT A VICTIM BECAUSE WE WANT THINGS TO GET BETTER FOR TWO PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO CARED FOR THE VICTIM?