Intruders follows a band of criminals as they break into a house that is home to an agoraphobic recluse. As tension in the home rises, the reasons for the recluse's isolation may be beyond simply agoraphobia.
Intruders Review
There's nothing new under the sun, but I feel like it's not that hard to come up with an original movie title...or at least a title that hasn't been used recently multiple times. This film is not to be confused with the 2011 Clive Owen horror film of the same name, or the 2015 horror movie of the same name, or the horror short of the same name that is superior to all of them. This Intruders is a home invasion movie, so in its defense, it fits the name better than the other haunting/ghost films. But still...
When comparing this film to others of a similar ilk, Intruders falls short. It isn't near as intense as Don't Breathe, as gripping as Kidnapped or Funny Games, as scary as The Strangers, and its gimmick lacks in comparison to Panic Room or Silent House. So...with that in mind, you know you aren't getting much new or better material.
The acting is solid throughout, but not anything special. Rory Culkin and Beth Riesgraf (playing the agoraphobic Anna) have most of the interesting moments and carry those scenes well, but the rest of the cast is bland and predictable in script and execution.
Given the mysterious subject matter that is relentlessly teasing a twist, we spend most of our time just kicking our legs waiting for it. And when it comes, it's a bit underwhelming. I will say it was unexpected. I had guesses that were way off. But as it was being revealed, it just felt weak. Perhaps that was in the delivery. It felt incredibly forced, with characters putting puzzle pieces together that weren't even flipped over to begin with. They just make guess after guess and every single one of them is right. It was kind of like a reverse-Bond-villain motive monologue.
This film lacks intensity, fluidity in its revelations, and drama in its acting, so for the most part it was a disappointment. I think it could've been something special, but it misses the mark. It wasn't a complete waste of time, however, as the production value is decent and nothing is embarrassingly or frustratingly terrible. But there's better. Way better.
Horror Qualifier: 7/10
Horror Quality: 4/10
Film Quality: 5/10