Natasha
Henstridge is a rich woman whose home is besieged by masked men who break in
during a hurricane. DTV Hall of Famer
Scott Adkins is the ringleader of the thieves looking for Natasha’s ex-husband’s
hidden loot. She calls her home security
company, and Jason Patric answers the call.
Since the authorities are cut off from the storm, he tries to keep her
alive and one step ahead of Adkins and his crew.
The
set-up is simple. It kind of plays like
a mix of The Strangers, Panic Room, and The Call. In the right hands, it could’ve been a
crackling little thriller. However, thanks
to David Tennant’s staid direction, Home Invasion very much feels like a
Lifetime Movie.
I
will give this to David Tennant (not the Doctor Who guy): He gets the show on the road in an efficient
manner. In doing so, he kind of shoots
himself in the foot because after that, there’s really nowhere for the movie to
go. The middle section where the thieves
go through the house in the dark with flashlights and metal detectors while
Henstridge and her kid play hide and seek with them is particularly paced like
molasses.
I
watched this because of my immense crush on Henstridge, my love for Adkins, and
the fact I dug Patric’s performance in The Prince. Too bad Henstridge is stuck playing the
thankless damsel in distress role who mostly just cowers in fear. Adkins is hidden behind a shitty mask for
much of the movie. Even when he takes it
off, he’s criminally underutilized. Patric
offers a measure of calm intensity, but there’s only so much he can do while
talking into a headset and clacking on a keyboard.
Even
as a fan of the three leads, Home Invasion is a dud. I can see why Scott took the role. He probably wants to be known for more than
just the action roles. However, his
villain character is severely underwritten.
Ice
Man himself, Shawn Ashmore was an executive producer.
AKA: Terror Online. AKA:
Forced Entry.
I liked this one
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