THE INTRUDER (Sony) Thriller. PG-13. Color .84 Minutes.
Blu Ray /DVD/ download and streaming available from Apple TV, AMAZON, Google Play and More
Reviewed DVD. Available July 30, 2019
THE INTRUDER* was one of those films that snuck out into the market in May before its release upon home video on July 30th. The $8 million film took in a domestic box office of $35 million, a tidy profit for the flick.
The movie harkens back to earlier “crazies in your home films” like PACIFIC HEIGHTS (Fox,1990) as well as aiming at audiences who jumped out of their seats at GET OUT (Universal,2017).
While not as strong as either of those two films (few are), THE INTRUDER is a good evening’s entertainment.
The Russells , Scott (Michael Ealy, starring in the soon to be released remake of JACOB’S LADDER, Vertical, 2019) buys his wife Annie (Meagan Good ,star of the upcoming Paul W.S. Anderson sci fi film , MONSTER HUNTER ,Screen Gems,2020 ) a house in Napa Valley . When they meet the current owner, Charlie Peck (Randy Quaid, BENEATH THE DARKNESS, Image 2011), they should have turned around and said nope this is going back on sale.
Charlie jumps out of some bushes, shoots a deer, then stands over it and proceeds to shoot the helpless animal some more. Seeing this, I was reminded of Eddie Murphy’s routine about black people starring in horror films.
“You can’t make a horror with black people in it cause the movie would stop.
Wow, baby this is beautiful, we got a chandelier hanging up there, kids outside playing, it’s a beautiful neighborhood. I really love this.”
“Getttt Ouuuuutttt”
“Too bad we can’t stay …”
Unluckily, it seems the Russell’s never heard that classic routine, and move in.
The problem becomes that Charlie just can’t leave his beloved home, which has been in his family for generations, and where we learn that his wife died from a shotgun blast, suspected at being self-inflicted. Charlie pops up riding his lawn mower around and starts yelling at workers drilling to install security systems, as if he still owns the place.
Annie, ever the gracious hostess, invites Charlie to a dinner. At the dinner, Mike (Joseph Sikora, also appearing in the upcoming JACOB’S LADDER), a friend of the Russells, insults Charlie and puts out a cigarette on the lawn that Charlie had earlier mowed.
The following day, there is a cigarette burn on the driver’s seat of Mike’s car, and he starts warning the couple that Charlie is looney tunes.
Joseph Sikora
Charlie keeps showing up at the house, more unhinged but Annie keeps letting him in, defying logic as well as warnings from Scott.
It results in a final showdown between Charlie and the couple.
The film requires audiences to suspend belief (and logic) several times for the film to work, but we keep watching, due to the fine cast.
Director Deon Taylor had directed a similar type film with TRAFFIK (Lionsgate, 2018).
Writer David Loughery wrote DREAMSCAPE (Fox, 1984), which incidentally had starred a younger Dennis Quaid as a hero. He also is infamous for STAR TREK V (Paramount, 1989) so make of that what you will.
The picture quality is fine, with no outstanding flourishes.
Sound is fine (5.1 Dolby), though some of the gunshots seemed to be a bit louder than expected. The audio is available in English and subtitled in Spanish, English SDH, and French.
Extras include
An Alternate Ending
Deleted Scenes
A Gag Reel
A Cast and Filmmaker commentary
And a short making of: Behind the Scenes of Foxglove (Foxglove being the name of the House).
A decent B movie and fun to watch Quaid go full Jack Nicholson towards the end.
-Kevin G Shinnick
*No connection to the Sony 2015 horror film THE INTRUDERS, the 1999 Canadian film THE INTRUDER, THE INTRUDER (1975), a lost Mickey Rooney(!) thriller, or the Roger Corman THE INTRUDER (Filmgroup,1962), starring William Shatner.
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