Dream House
Inert film that united Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz lacks genuine horror
(15) 92min
Fated only to be remembered as the long shelved horror-thriller during the making of which Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz discovered their mutual attraction, Dream House sees both stars plus director Jim Sheridan and co-star Naomi Watts all at sea in a dog’s dinner of contrivance and cod psychology.
After quitting his job in publishing, Will Atenton (Craig) relocates to the suburbs with Libby (Weisz) and their two pre-teen daughters. Falling foul of the ire of hostile neighbours, the couple soon realize that their house was previously the scene of a gruesome massacre. But a mid-story twist, familiar from Identity, Secret Window and other genre staples, suggests that the main danger to the family comes not from external forces, but within …
Recut on studio wishes, and saddled with a trailer that gives the game away, Dream House benefits from a decent performance from Craig and some sparky chemistry with Weisz, neither of which keeps David Loucka’s clunky script afloat. Lacking any genuine horror, Sheridan’s inert film offers few genuine thrills, meaning that Craig and Weisz will presumably remember Dream House more fondly that any audience that watches it.
General release from Fri 25 Nov.