Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.
Review
Experience tells us that the bigger the star you have in your "horror" movie, the slower, more ponderous affair it tends to be. This is no exception. Slap bang in the middle of his Bond run, Daniel Craig stars in chiller, Dream House, a gothic look at a murder mystery.
Directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot) the look of the film breaks no new ground, and the writing, by David Loucka (Rings) really is nothing new. It's surprising that Sheridan's direction is so flat, especially given the talent involved, however, why Loucka keeps being hired as a writer is beyond me. The generic playbook is out in full as far as the story goes, with Craig's Will buying his dream house at the beginning of the film only to find the house has a mysterious past. Sadly the twists are telegraphed badly, and other films of the like are presented better. I'm not calling them out, because of spoilers, but there are better films.
The saving grace of the movie is the cast, however. Craig is a good actor, and while his performance is not astonishing, the character fits him like a glove, and the film works so well for it. His chemistry with co-leads Naomi Watts (King Kong) and (real life wife) Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) is electric, and for the most part carries the film.
None of this is to say that the film is bad, though. It is watchable and enjoyable, and has a nice "cold winter's night" feel to it, drifting a little from gothic horror towards cozy mystery.
Worth watching for the performances.
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