Shut In

There is so much potential in this Naomi Watts film, but it's incomprehensible...

I'm not sure which section of audiences the film was made for, but if you get time to see it later on DVD I suggest you give it a spin just to know the reveal, which in my humble opinion gives the ludicrous reveal of 2009's Orphan a run for its money.

You walk into this film, hoping to feel claustrophobic but walk out trying to shake off boredom.

Screenplay writer Christina Hodson obviously did not have a clue as to how to connect the big idea with a credible story. So every attempt at generating thrills and scares appears fake. It's also obvious that the mechanics have been ripped-off from much more assured material . There's no compelling story here and neither is there any involvement. But for the heightened atmospherics, and the presence of Naomi Watt and Jacob Tremblay, this would have been an imminently forgettable experience.

The only success that this film may claim to have is that all ghosts are nothing but the brain playing tricks due to parasomnia.

There's a campy attempt to create unnatural sexual frisson. None of the supporting actors, including the normally dependable Oliver Platt (playing a fellow therapist), brings any complexity to their roles. Watch Shut In at your own peril.