Director: Antti Jokinen (2011)
Starring: Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Christopher Lee, Iphone
A slick, sleazy but slow psycho-thriller from Hammer this, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan in fine form as Hilary Swank's suave but psycho landlord. On the rebound, Juliet (Swank) moves into a seemingly idyllic apartment (Swanky, even. GEDDIT) owned by Max (Morgan). Not following that rule about never pooping where you eat, she wastes no time in hooking up with the hunky homeowner. But realising that her heart lies with ex-fella Jack (Lee Pace), she stops short of intercourse. Already a little bit stalker, this drives Max over the edge. Truly unsettling sleaziness ensues.
The Resident is an alarmingly pervy movie, the kind of thing you'd normally expect from RapeLay. The whole thing is essentially just Jeffery Dean Morgan terrorising Hilary Swank, mostly without her knowledge. So he hides behind her walls and under her bed, watching her as she bathes and licking her fingers whilst she sleeps. He injects drugs into her feet and uses her toothbrush. Then he goes and has a Hilary Swank in her bathtub.
Because hot people can be stalkers too.
All I know is, after watching The Resident, I really wanted to buy an Iphone. Hilary Swank's Iphone is in this movie more than Christopher Lee. And when her Iphone isn't around, then the movie makes a plot point of her Apple computer. The Resident is for Apple products what I Robot was for Audi. Christopher Lee, by the way, injects little class but plays the same decrepid old man character he's been playing for the past few years now. But in this movie he has a trendy haircut. It's a nice touch, but not really enough to save the film from mediocrity.
Although if Twilight is to be believed, girls like being molested as they sleep.
It's very well directed, wringing tension from the stalking scenes and thrills from the showdown, bringing to mind the very underrated Pacific Heights. Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are both very good as victim and villain, respectively. It's always refreshing when a movie's Scream Queen can actually act. But there's the overriding feeling that The Resident is coasting on its director's skills and its actors' charms. For all of its creepiness, it doesn't feel worthy of the Hammer brand. It's a direct to TV movie writ large, starring Christopher Lee and an Academy Award winner. Furthermore, it's fitfully boring and there's a completely unnecessary and extensive flashback sequence that serves only to spell out things we knew already.
The Resident is passable enough, but will probably make one think twice about seducing your landlord, moving into a house with Jeffery Dean Morgan or not buying an Iphone.
really? you liked that? god, I just hated that rubbish, especially because of the annoying performance from hilary horseface
ReplyDeleteHaha, Hilary Horseface. I kinda like her. I thought it was good; no masterpiece, but creepy enough to make up for how slow it is.
ReplyDeleteWow, I don't remember this one coming out. Yep you're right, it sounds like Pacific Heights to me. I thought one time was too many. How many times do we need to see a residential stalker film? There was also Lakeview Terrace a few years ago.
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