Originally published and edited from my All Things MJ Cross Blogger on 11/28/2014.
Very rarely do I find a gem on my Netflix cue that moves me enough to write a review. Dream House is such a film.
The Story: Written by David Loucka and directed by Jim Sheridan (Brothers – 2009) it’s a film that likes to think of itself as a psychological thriller, but it has these sleeper elements of the supernatural that had me on the edge of my bed. With a strong cast of Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts, we’re introduced to a family moving into what appears to be their dream house (Roll Credits). However, because as common with this genre, all things aren’t as they appear. Shadows lurk outside. Echoed whispers haunt Mr. Will Atenton (Craig), and there are bullet holes on the walls. Everyone seems to know about the home’s past and is unwilling to help. Who’s crazy? The family or the neighborhood?
What I liked: Follow and question everything you see in this film. It is a twist on the haunted house story, and I fell for it. If you are looking for something scary to watch, this has a few moments. In this day and age where everything is redundant or comes off as a film trope, I definitely jumped out of my skin a couple times. This is more of a cerebral film and combines moments of Shining’s ‘redrum’ and Kidman’s ‘Others’ to some success.
I felt deeply for the main characters. Craig, whose previous roles has been this hyper macho character, has never appeared so vulnerable to me than he did in this film as Will Atenton. What I love about this genre is that it always us to deconstruct tropes and analyze fears. Craig gets to cry and loss his mind counter to that of his Bond persona. Men losing their minds is well trodden land in horror, but it’s always nice to see.
What I didn’t like: Once the truth is revealed (kudos to the make up artists) the movie shifts gears and things flow in the way they should, albeit a tad cliche, and maybe that’s why it suffered such rotten review. To each his own. Be you’re own judge. Dream House is available for rent on most platforms.