A Thriller with Dennis Quaid Cast Against Type

Kaleidoscope's latest is on Sony Screen Gems's production of "The Intruder".  Directed by Deon Taylor, the movie stars Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Joseph Sikora, & Debs Howard.  Rated 'PG-13', it has a running time of 1 hr., 42 min.

Scott Russell (Ealy) has just landed a big account at his firm in San Francisco.  As such, his income is about to increase a great deal, & he & his wife Annie (Good) now agree that they can buy that  house in the country that they have always wanted.  They decide on a beautiful home that is owned by Charlie Peck (Quaid).  Problem:  although Charlie says that he can let go of the home that he has had for many years & shared with his wife until she passed away 2 years ago--he cannot!  He becomes obsessed with the fact that they are now the owners of his house--and, he becomes obsessed with Annie.  Act I ends with Charlie's increasing fixation with their ownership &, with Annie, in particular.  Additionally, they learn some troublesome facts about Charlie through their friends Mike (SIkora) & Rachel (August).

What we have here is deja vu.  In the tradition of 2011's 'Dream House', 1992's 'Unlawful Entry', 1976's 'Burnt Offerings', & countless other films, we have the couple who moves into a house where the former owners try to rid them.  Director Taylor adds nothing new to this subgenre.  The chills are telegraphed so that the audience, even if not self-aware, will see them coming.  David Loughery's screenplay uses the same types of tropes that he employed in the similarly themed 'Lakeview Terrace', 'Penthouse North', & 'Obsessed'.  Been there; done that.  The film's redemption comes in the 3 main performances.  Quaid, playing against type, is suitably evil.  The arc he creates is viable & believable.  Ealy, also playing against a certain type that he has demonstrated in recent films, is fine as the husband who is not quite as strong as his wife.  He is slower to realize the true evil of Charlie than is Annie.  Again, Ealy is believable in this role.  Good is excellent as the wife who is trying to both understand Charlie & to keep a balance between placating Charlie & protecting her relationship with Scott.  She believable becomes the centerpiece of this odd triangle.  Daniel Pearl's cinematography is routine; he demonstrates why most of his professional lineage is with music videos.  Geoff Zanelli's score is thriller generic--neither good nor bad--just routine.  

I give "The Intruder" 2 out of 5 nuggets; 7 out of 10 on a 10-point scale.  If you have nothing better to do, and have already seen "Avengers: Endgame", & like thrillers, you could do worse than check out this film.  If you are looking for originality, tho, seek elsewhere.