396. The Intruder; movie review

THE INTRUDER
Cert 15
102 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong threat, sexual threat, violence

I wish I had twenty quid for every time I have seen a film about people being harassed or even killed in their home.
The Intruder follows a very well worn path and, in the words of Mrs W: "It is very predictable."
To be fair to Dennis Quaid, he gives every last sinew in attempting to add original nuance to an age-old formula.
But he can only work within the constraints of a disappointingly unimaginative script.
The Intruder stars Michael Ealy and Meagan Good as a loved-up married couple who celebrate his promotion by looking for a new home in the country.
Their ideal abode is a secluded home, put up for sale by a widower (Quaid) who is leaving to live with his daughter in Florida.
At the beginning of their first viewing, he appears from the undergrowth having shot a deer. They should have run for the hills there and then.
Indeed, this is far from the only time red lights are flashing but the couple, in particular, Good's character, carry on blithely. 
That, ultimately, is the problem with Deon Taylor's film - it lacks believability. Indeed, it prompted exasperated gasps and groans from both Mrs W and myself.
Quaid tries his best but anyone seeing his fixed smile would have the cops on speed dial.
It is also a terrible waste of Ealy who has appeared in more TV series than any actor I could name and yet is reduced to whimpering sidekick of a husband here.
Presumably, there will come a time when 'women alone in the house' films will go out of fashion. It can't come soon enough for me.

Reasons to watch: Dennis Quaid gives his best shot at unhinged 
Reasons to avoid: Rather predictable 

Laughs: None
Jumps: One
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 3/10

Did you know? After following in the footsteps of his older brother Randy Quaid (also an accomplished actor) to the University of Houston, Dennis Quaid dropped out in 1974 and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. 

Final word. Meagan Good: "The first time that I saw this movie with an audience, I was in Atlanta, and I was like “Oh, this is crazy! There is so much energy in the room, people are so activated, it must be this city”, but then I sat through screenings and it was the same in Chicago and New York and everywhere else." Brief Take

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