Okay folks...if you see Eric Roberts in the cast of any movie, consider this a RED FLAG. I have yet to see ANY movie with him in it to be any good. This movie that my wife and I watched wasn't very good but at the same time, I've seen worse. Maybe it's because Eric Roberts wasn't the lead in this movie. The plot was weak and I kept waiting for something to happen, not to mention...I originally thought this was a horror movie. I think my wife may have suckered me into watching one of her lifetime thriller movies. Kept expecting something haunted popping up from the house like a vengeful spirit or anything supernatural. Nope. My recommendation...if you see this review...please check into something else. You'll just regret wasting your time with this one. Peace.
9 Reviews
Drab ...
parry_na18 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Amy is irritated by her boyfriend and his offers of help, Amy is angered by the police, Amy is bored by the estate agent, Amy is annoyed at the local chemist. Amy spends such a lot of the time being intolerant of those around her, it is very difficult to care about her plight during the course of this story, especially as the story is not hugely gripping anyway.
As the film rolls on, we realise why Amy has a particularly good reason to be angry at the world, but we spend the majority of the story getting to this point, by which time, I had certainly lost interest in her.
Of the rest of the cast, Eric Roberts is the most familiar face. Known for adopting a slightly tongue-in-cheek approach to his roles, there's no dramatic change in evidence here. He is probably the most entertaining character, with his dry delivery as Officer Peterson bringing the character more life than is written.
What appealed to me about this film was the idea of horrors dwelling beneath the surface of a sunny, respectable suburban setting. Whilst ideas and characters are touched upon in a mildly effective way, there is nothing here to sustain the entire running time, and whilst I often enjoy films that tell a story in a slowly building way, there isn't even a memorable pay-off at the end.
As the film rolls on, we realise why Amy has a particularly good reason to be angry at the world, but we spend the majority of the story getting to this point, by which time, I had certainly lost interest in her.
Of the rest of the cast, Eric Roberts is the most familiar face. Known for adopting a slightly tongue-in-cheek approach to his roles, there's no dramatic change in evidence here. He is probably the most entertaining character, with his dry delivery as Officer Peterson bringing the character more life than is written.
What appealed to me about this film was the idea of horrors dwelling beneath the surface of a sunny, respectable suburban setting. Whilst ideas and characters are touched upon in a mildly effective way, there is nothing here to sustain the entire running time, and whilst I often enjoy films that tell a story in a slowly building way, there isn't even a memorable pay-off at the end.
Nothing at all remarkable or remotely entertaining
bksapw11 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Watching this movie is almost as interesting as watching paint dry. It was Poorly executed. Nothing suspenseful because I couldn't get past the armature acting. Poorly executed. Nothing flowed, was like bits and pieces all over the place making a mad dash to throw a movie together and pray to God the target audience would be brain dead. The acting was the WORST.. Like nails on a chalkboard times one hundred. HORRIBLE! I just lost two hours of my life hoping it would get better. It didn't. Not to mention the $7.99 I lost.
I've seen junior high plays better then this. Do not waste your time. Don't waste your money.
I've seen junior high plays better then this. Do not waste your time. Don't waste your money.
Just awful
rosaperez-2932021 April 2015
This movie is NOT a thriller by far. I just couldn't keep my attention span long enough as the parts just weren't flowing to the next scenes. The acting was below substandard. There could have been some good potential here if it was executed differently because the story was good. I think the actors have some of that potential as well, so not sure who to point the finger at.
It was a movie I just couldn't stay awake for. Didn't make much sense. Some of the decisions made in the story didn't make sense; like the just got crutches, let me be nosy and break into the house.
Too slow.
Can you see how I wrote my review? Patchy? Kinda felt that way about the movie too. Watch it with your cat.
It was a movie I just couldn't stay awake for. Didn't make much sense. Some of the decisions made in the story didn't make sense; like the just got crutches, let me be nosy and break into the house.
Too slow.
Can you see how I wrote my review? Patchy? Kinda felt that way about the movie too. Watch it with your cat.
Waste of time
ashton-8186413 May 2015
I would not even give this film a star. Was not even worth the five minutes it took to watch the beginning. Please don't waste your time on this film. Wasn't even scary. And also had a boring transition. I would prefer watching a cartoon than wasting my time on this film. They are making me write 10 lines for this film, but I do not even have any more to say. It was a boring beginning, did not even keep my attention. Had to turn it off after 5 minutes. Please do not even waste your time clicking the play button. They should of called this film. Bore you to death HA HA. Thank you for spending two minutes of your time reading my review. And hope this was helpful for you to not waste your time.
Took ages to get going! 2/10
leonblackwood18 July 2015
Review: I really wasn't a fan of this movie because the storyline is really slow and the random events were a bit too sketchy. Its about a troubled woman who moves to a quiet town to try and escape her past. After witnessing a car accident outside her house, she starts to ask questions around the town, which upsets the police and some of the locals. She also sees strange visitors turning up to the house in front, so she puts her investigating hat on, to try and find out more about the strange goings on. Everywhere she turns, she hits a brick wall so she befriends a cop who is also intrigued about the house across the street. After a while, the story starts to make sense but it does take its time getting there. The woman seems to be walking around in a daze through most of the movie and her schizophrenic nature made her character look and feel a bit strange. Personally, I found her acting a bit dull and emotionless, especially when her ex-boyfriend helped her out and she kept on treating him like rubbish for no apparent reason. Anyway, I liked it when it all came together at the end but it was still a bad script and the poor acting didn't help. I also didn't like the way the film was filmed but that just me being picky. In all, it's a total waste of time and money and I can completely understand why the critics gave it the thumbs down. Awful!
Round-Up: The actress who plays the lead, Jessica Sonneborn, has starred in over 40 movies but they have all been low budget and unheard of. She wrote, directed and starred in Alice D, which I've never heard of and she also starred in Never Open The Door, A Lure: Teen Fight Club and Love Addict. She might be better in those movies but I didn't really rate her in this one. The director, Arthur Luhn, has only directed 6 movies but none of them turned out to be anything big. Anyway, Eric Roberts acts the same in all of his movies so I wasn't that surprised with his input but it's really the lead actress who let this film down. At the end of the day, I really didn't enjoy this film but the twist at the end wasn't bad.
I recommend this movie to people who are into their thrillers about a woman who moves to a strange town and starts to investigate weird episodes which occur in the house in across the street. 2/10
Round-Up: The actress who plays the lead, Jessica Sonneborn, has starred in over 40 movies but they have all been low budget and unheard of. She wrote, directed and starred in Alice D, which I've never heard of and she also starred in Never Open The Door, A Lure: Teen Fight Club and Love Addict. She might be better in those movies but I didn't really rate her in this one. The director, Arthur Luhn, has only directed 6 movies but none of them turned out to be anything big. Anyway, Eric Roberts acts the same in all of his movies so I wasn't that surprised with his input but it's really the lead actress who let this film down. At the end of the day, I really didn't enjoy this film but the twist at the end wasn't bad.
I recommend this movie to people who are into their thrillers about a woman who moves to a strange town and starts to investigate weird episodes which occur in the house in across the street. 2/10
THE BIG FISH
nogodnomasters14 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Amy (Jessica Sonneborn) leaves Kansas where nothing ever happens to a small town where nothing ever happens. She notices odd things going on at the house across the street. Off of her anti-psychotic meds, she investigates to dismay of the neighbors and police. Oh yeah, there is a missing girl.
The film was rather boring. The script lacked decent lines and Jessica Sonneborn was not convincing. Note the knife on DVD cover....think gun instead. I could compare it to other films, but that would "ruin" the ending. Also the sound recording picked up a lot of distracting background noise.
The film was rather boring. The script lacked decent lines and Jessica Sonneborn was not convincing. Note the knife on DVD cover....think gun instead. I could compare it to other films, but that would "ruin" the ending. Also the sound recording picked up a lot of distracting background noise.
Angry main character
iainmcleod_80010 January 2021
The main character is just raging all the time. And speaks to people that are trying to help her, or who she wants help from, like dirt.
Id probably try running her down myself.
So u end up not really caring about her. Or anyone.
Solid Indie Thriller
horriblyhooched12 March 2015
I was confused at first. Very often when someone slaps the label 'Thriller' on a film its because they didn't have the sack to go full force horror, or think that because they've read enough John Grisham novels in airport lounges they know how to keep an audience hanging on every moment. And, usually, they fall face first. Its spectacularly difficult to keep the average viewer's interest (especially mine, I'll admit it) all the way up until the conclusion – that's 3 acts and roughly 90 minutes of tension – no small feat.
And that is essentially what you'll find in The House Across the Street. I say essentially because there are moments of lassitude where the momentum ebbs, or the writing is a bit awkward and pulls you out, but it is otherwise a fully immersive experience, and by the final act you'll be unable to look away or even exactly understand what's going on until the end.
Its a remarkable combination, I think, that holds the viewer. Thoughtful shots, a bleak and hopeless mood, bizarre characters and a compelling lead (Jessica Sonneborn as Amy) together build a sense of unease, that nothing is OK, that this thin veneer of happiness in an idyllic and quiet neighborhood is hiding something horrifying, slick and slimy.
Ugh. Still makes my skin crawl a bit. Makes you look twice at that neighbor that always waves when he's throwing out the trash, or offers to mow your lawn – makes you second guess those split second appraisals we make of others. What is it that Mom always used to say?
"Don't judge a book by its cover." The House Across the Street brings new light to that sentiment, and breath to the idea that 'nothing is ever as it seems'. Do you really know whats going on around you? What happens behind closed doors? Do you even dare give life to the possible horror that other people are capable of?
TL;DR The House Across the Street taps directly into our primordial hive mind and distills the primitive juices of terror from our collective lizard brain, leaving the viewer agape, jaw planted thoroughly on the floor.
Original review at http://horriblyhooched.com/
And that is essentially what you'll find in The House Across the Street. I say essentially because there are moments of lassitude where the momentum ebbs, or the writing is a bit awkward and pulls you out, but it is otherwise a fully immersive experience, and by the final act you'll be unable to look away or even exactly understand what's going on until the end.
Its a remarkable combination, I think, that holds the viewer. Thoughtful shots, a bleak and hopeless mood, bizarre characters and a compelling lead (Jessica Sonneborn as Amy) together build a sense of unease, that nothing is OK, that this thin veneer of happiness in an idyllic and quiet neighborhood is hiding something horrifying, slick and slimy.
Ugh. Still makes my skin crawl a bit. Makes you look twice at that neighbor that always waves when he's throwing out the trash, or offers to mow your lawn – makes you second guess those split second appraisals we make of others. What is it that Mom always used to say?
"Don't judge a book by its cover." The House Across the Street brings new light to that sentiment, and breath to the idea that 'nothing is ever as it seems'. Do you really know whats going on around you? What happens behind closed doors? Do you even dare give life to the possible horror that other people are capable of?
TL;DR The House Across the Street taps directly into our primordial hive mind and distills the primitive juices of terror from our collective lizard brain, leaving the viewer agape, jaw planted thoroughly on the floor.
Original review at http://horriblyhooched.com/
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