THE RESIDENT- *

Directed by Antti Jokinen. Starring Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lee Pace, Christopher Lee. Horror, UK/USA, 91 minutes, cert 15.

Released in the UK on DVD by Icon Home Entertainment on 4 July 2011, £15.99

Originally intended to be the first film of Hammer Studios' big return, THE RESIDENT was eventually side-lined, with the studio opting to release LET ME IN, their remake of critically impervious LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, instead. This year writer/director Antti Jokinen's feature debut was finally released. Aiming to capitalise on the fact that women every year move into new apartments without changing the locks, THE RESIDENT follows ER doctor Juliet (Hilary Swank) who, following a break-up, is looking for a new apartment. There is no mention of the countless men who also move house; perhaps that will be the sequel. After viewing several flats that leave a lot to be desired, she stumbles across one that seems perfect: spacious, cheap, in a good location and with a sexy landlord, Max (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

Of course, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is, and soon enough Juliet is hearing strange noises and generally getting the feeling that she's being watched in her beautiful new home. Despite Max's strange grandfather August (Christopher Lee) existing solely for the purpose of misdirection, with only five characters in the film, it is instantly obvious who the real villain is – perhaps for this reason, Jokinen chooses to reveal their identity within the first half hour. Yet this does little to add tension or atmosphere and the film limps onwards, with a half-hearted cat-and-mouse chase filling the remainder of the running time.

THE RESIDENT's plot is paper-thin and even more transparent. Jokinen has added vague suggestions of back story, such as a traumatic event in Max's childhood, but they are included with no conviction or point. The characters are severely undeveloped and the actors miscast – as Juliet's ex, Lee Pace is jarringly out of place, while Swank herself, despite her Oscar achievements, is neither feminine enough to be believable as an object of a stalker's affections nor sympathetic enough to be an acceptable victim-turned-heroine. The film also suffers from having one of the most pathetic villains in recent memory: even a date rape scene does little to enhance his status, when the most disturbing thing he had previously done involved brushing his teeth with Juliet's toothbrush – surely more unhygienic than psychotic.

Even more disappointing than the weak characterisation is the fact that THE RESIDENT is simply not scary. Utterly pedestrian in its approach, it is weakly directed, lacking atmosphere and the score is irritatingly obvious in its intentions to create tension. Jokinen's decision to suggest rather than show results in the film lacking coherence, and it would actually benefit from some gratuitous gore, violence or nudity. The climax, which features some unpleasant and unnecessary character deviations – Juliet's choices result in her becoming a murderer, though one assumes we should still support her – is marginally more exciting, but it is unsuccessful as either a horror film or a thriller, never managing to be anything more than generic and bland and, hopefully, is no indication of what's to come from the iconic Hammer house.

Becky Bartlett.

GORE IN THE STORE
REVIEWS BY FANS FOR FANS
5 STAR FAB - 1 STAR RUBBISH