The Resident

John Chard

Generic Cat and Mouse Thriller. When young doctor Juliet Dermer (Hilary Swank) moves into a spacious New York apartment, she can’t believe her luck. More so as she is attracted to her landlord, Max (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). However, something isn’t quite right with the apartment and Juliet soon comes to regret having ever moved in. There has been a number of similar thrillers over the years, the type where a humble home is turned into a nightmare by the presence of some psychopath. The Resident, in spite of some lovely technical touches, sits comfortably on auto-pilot and hopes that is enough to seal the thriller deal. Sadly it isn’t! Director Antii Jokinen and his co-writers Robert Orr and Erin Cressida Wilson have forgot to add twists and shocks to their picture. Things are further compounded by the fact that Morgan’s villain (it’s signposted a mile away) is about as scary as a puppy letting out its first bark. Swank gives it a good go as the woman in peril, while Christopher Lee is a reassuring presence even if he is utterly set up as a token character. The sexual violation angle feels like a lame attempt to put some horror into a standard thriller set up, while the script is wooden and kills what chance of suspense there briefly was. Some impressive cinematography and camera techniques keep it interesting to the eyes at least, but this is a waste of acting talent and a waste of time for those looking for something to chill the blood. In all honesty you would be better off renting The Tenant or Single White Female instead. 4/10