What Lies Beneath

The life of a happily married couple living in Vermont is suddenly jarred from its foundation when an entity invades their home. Claire (Pfeiffer) and Norman (Ford) are a well-to-do married couple living on a lakeside estate in Vermont. Norman's a research scientist and spends much of his time finishing papers and giving lectures while Claire stays at home, dealing with the emotional after-effects of a recent car crash.

Claire soon becomes worried about the folks next door. The wife has recently disappeared and Claire has now started to hear voices and see a young woman's face reflected in the water. This is where the film stands out from many recent horror films. It does not rely on huge computer-generated monsters or big explosions but instead it's subtle, making it scarier than its more in-your-face counterparts.

On Norman's advice, Claire begins to see a therapist who advises her to make an effort to contact whatever is causing the disturbances. This is where the fun really begins...

The plot is nothing that we haven't seen before but the acting is good, especially Pfeiffer who is in nearly every scene - anything but a great performance would really have stood out. However, Zemeckis, taking time out from filming Cast Away, seems to have made an effort to make it as realistic as possible, which adds to the suspense.

Overall this is a fun film, made even more enjoyable by going with someone who is a little on the jumpy side. Even more entertainment for the already ridiculously low ticket prices.

Ben Goddard