Like some of his fellow comic actors, Jason Bateman goes serious for this role. He and his wife (Rebecca Hall) move into a new house and quickly encounter one of his old high school acquaintances (Joel Edgerton, who also wrote and directed). His eager friendship, unsolicited presents and off-kilter creepiness creates worrisome concerns for them and us. With the exception of one out-of-your-seat scare, the rest of the film is a slow-build physiological drama with increasingly mild suspense. It does go in an unexpected direction and there is a lot of conversation, but Edgerton has skillfully crafted the film into a quietly compelling thriller.
(3.5 / 5)