A very boring thriller

Argemaluco

The plot summary from The Resident did not sound very interesting to me, but my suspicions of mediocrity were not enough to dissuade me from watching it, because the presence in the cast from the good actors Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Christopher Lee suggested enough talent in order to compensate the potential fails from the story; besides, the fact that it was produced by Hammer Films touched a nostalgia factor to me. Unfortunately, The Resident ended up being a boring thriller.

The first half hour from The Resident looks like many romantic melodramas in which a divorced woman finds a new love which resurrects her interest in life. But after that, the film takes the thriller route. Unfortunately, the screenplay wastes any chance of making something original or unexpected, preferring a predictable ride through the clichés from this kind of movies: romantic moments illuminated by candles; fleeting glimpses to the villain's psychosis (moments which reach the involuntary humor); disgusting invasions to the privacy when the villain spies the main character naked in the bathroom, or kisses her furtively while she sleeps...and, sure, the unavoidable acts of violence when the intruder feels that his "real love" is not answering as he wants to. Among the few elements from The Resident, I can mention Morgan's intensity, the aura of threaten conjured by Lee, and the combination of force and vulnerability expressed by Swank. Pity that they were involved in such a badly written movie.

Despite the performances, I cannot recommend The Resident, because it is boring and it does not generate any suspense.

score 5/10

Argemaluco 17 September 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2489825/