REVIEW: Movie sums up plot in its two-minute trailer

First of all, the trailer for this film was deceiving. Not only does it give away half the movie, its depiction was of a horror type of movie when it was just a thriller. 

I went in to the theater thinking I would be at the edge of my seat and peaking through my fingers the whole time. It was a relief. However, “Dream House” was predictable and not as good as it could have been.

“Dream House” is about a young family that unknowingly moves into a house where a murder took place. Will (Daniel Craig), in an effort to protect his family and ensure that they feel safe, tries to solve the mystery of who died and who was responsible for those deaths. 

The whole neighborhood seems to know what happened in the house years before and did not feel the need to express any concern to Will or his family, except for the neighbor across the street, Ann (Naomi Watts). She appears to have some insight on what took place in the old house.

Will finds that Peter Ward is the supposed murderer. He does some digging and finds Ward was released from a mental institution just days before. Peter just happens to look exactly like Will. Will is then told that his two daughters and wife are dead and he is just imagining them there. He is then internally agonized by the image and the situation. Will fights with himself, searching for truth and answers.

When the movie began I was automatically intrigued. I am a big fan of the current James Bond, Daniel Craig, and Rachel Weisz from “The Constant Gardener.” That is one of the reasons I was motivated to see this film over others. 

As the story progressed and more facts were revealed, I slowly lost curiosity and intrigue. However, the actions were intense and fast, keeping me enveloped in the film. It was when I walked out of the theater that I realized its potential but lack of execution.

It’s too bad the trailer revealed so much of the plot. “Dream House” could have been easily unpredictable if that wasn’t the case. However, the producers did reveal too much and the movie was almost entirely predictable. The impressive acting and eerie cinematography made up for it, but it was not enough to pull the film through. The plot was just not as clever as its intentions were.

Watts was a great asset to the film. I am not familiar with every character she has played, but she seems to pull through in the roles she takes on. I always have high expectations for Craig and Weisz, and they took on unique roles that I was surprised they pulled off.

Side note, did you know Craig and Weisz were married this year? I wonder if that was a deciding factor when casting came around. They both proved themselves as talented actors within these roles.

“Dream House” could have been excellent. It is a very interesting concept and well casted, but when the end came around it was a disappointment.

– Anike Pullens is a senior majoring in public relations and minoring in theater and speech. Her reviews run every other Friday. She enjoys movies any day of the week, of any genre. She can be contacted at anike.pullens@aggiemail.usu.edu