The Intruder Reviews

A poltergeist mystery in which the past literally haunts a marriage, this meandering suspense film recalls WHAT LIES BENEATH, and the comparison isn't flattering. High-strung Catherine Girard (Charlotte Gainsbourg) marries her Prince Charming, Nick Girard (Charles Powell), not realizing that his castle has some skeletons in its closet. After a long mourning period, Nick has finally come to terms with the loss of his adoring wife, Stella, who was slain by an intruder. Although he married Catherine to forget the past, he senses that his apartment is haunted by something — perhaps Stella's restless spirit? Despite his own suspicions, Nick is driven to distraction by Catherine's incessant reports of apparitions, and contemplates having her committed. Catherine becomes further unhinged after Nick's old flame, Badge Muller (Nastassja Kinski), starts hanging around, a constant reminder that Nick ahd an affair with her. Is Badge determined to gaslight the impressionable Catherine or is the possessive Stella actually alive? After one friend jumps out a window and another gets bashed on the head, it becomes obvious that Catherine hasn't been imagining the supernatural mischief. Someone — alive or dead — wants to reclaim Nick. Although screenwriter Jamie Brown (adapting Brooke Leimas' novel) provides an unusual theory — something about fractured time dimensions — to explain how Stella returns to wreak havoc, director David Bailey gets hung up on showing how intelligently he can manufacture frissons. The film's characterizations suffer, so there's no one to care about when the plot developments start getting really confusing.