I watched this movie almost by accident, it was the next movie on Amazon Prime after I'd finished the one I was watching and I couldn't find the remote to turn it off so I just let it run. It was a bit slow at first but soon became very tense and gripping.
The plot is simple, but emulated too often in other movies over the years that you sort of know what's coming.
A young couple tired of living in the city after they are the victims of a home invasion robbery, buy a house in the burbs. The girl, Jessica (Courtney Ford), intrigued by their neighbour Simon, (Shaun Benson), is lured to his house where he kidnaps her and in true Joseph Fritzl style, imprisons her in his 1950's themed cellar. Here, as 'man of the house' he subjects Jessica to some 1950's stereotypes. However, they are not alone as one of his previous victims also lives there, but she has been broken and is suffering from severe Stockholm Syndrome.
Frantic with worry, Jessica's boyfriend enlists the help of his friend who is a policeman to do some digging regarding Jessica's disappearance, but all enquiries lead to a dead end.
The other girl, jealous of Jessica and the attention that Simon now lavishes upon her. Tries to get Simon to turn against her by telling Simon that she plans to escape, but her plan backfires when she is murdered by Simon.
Jessica appears to be getting used to being the captive, being obedient and subservient to Simon, obeying his every command, both domestically and sexually and you're made to feel that she too has been broken like her predecessor, especially when she watches Simon murder her boyfriend's cop buddy on the CCTV but shows zero emotion as it happens, convincing Simon that he did what he had to do.
Her boyfriend, frustrated that he cannot locate Jessica and convinced she has disappeared for good, sells the house and prepares to move back to the city. When Simon informs Jessica of this, she convinces Simon that while she has every intention of staying with him for the rest of her life, she still feels bad for her boyfriend and asks Simon to give him some parting gesture to cheer him up.
Simon, a collector of fine wines, intends to give him one of his bottles as this gift. However, when Simon gives the bottle to him, the boyfriend sees lipstick on his collar and knowing Simon to be an eccentric introvert who lives alone begins to suspect that Jessica is being held in Simon's house and begins to plan a rescue.
When the boyfriend breaks into Simon's house, Simon attacks him and almost kills him, but Jessica is able to escape the cellar that time forgot and saves her boyfriend by attacking Simon rendering him unconscious.
The movie ends with Simon in prison, Jessica has interceded to stop him from getting the death penalty, but not for any compassionate reason, she wants to see Simon suffer by becoming the prisoner to get a taste of his own medicine, boldly declaring that he never once broke her and that she only made him believe he had. She departs the visiting room leaving Simon with a copy of her new book that she has written based on her cellar experience.
The problem with the movie is that it is predictable, despite trying to convince the audience that she had fallen for Simon and no longer had a wish to escape, you knew that it was an act and that she was only biding her time waiting for the right opportunity to make her escape. What would have been better is to have the double switcharoo by ending the movie with her killing her boyfriend and showing the audience that she had been broken, therefore giving the audience that genuine shock,
Nevertheless, for a made for TV movie this is really well made and was a thrilling watch. Ford and Benson are really good and play their parts well, whilst the other actors don't measure up to the two leads as much they clearly try.
A pleasant surprise and worth a watch.
Enjoy!
The plot is simple, but emulated too often in other movies over the years that you sort of know what's coming.
A young couple tired of living in the city after they are the victims of a home invasion robbery, buy a house in the burbs. The girl, Jessica (Courtney Ford), intrigued by their neighbour Simon, (Shaun Benson), is lured to his house where he kidnaps her and in true Joseph Fritzl style, imprisons her in his 1950's themed cellar. Here, as 'man of the house' he subjects Jessica to some 1950's stereotypes. However, they are not alone as one of his previous victims also lives there, but she has been broken and is suffering from severe Stockholm Syndrome.
Frantic with worry, Jessica's boyfriend enlists the help of his friend who is a policeman to do some digging regarding Jessica's disappearance, but all enquiries lead to a dead end.
The other girl, jealous of Jessica and the attention that Simon now lavishes upon her. Tries to get Simon to turn against her by telling Simon that she plans to escape, but her plan backfires when she is murdered by Simon.
Jessica appears to be getting used to being the captive, being obedient and subservient to Simon, obeying his every command, both domestically and sexually and you're made to feel that she too has been broken like her predecessor, especially when she watches Simon murder her boyfriend's cop buddy on the CCTV but shows zero emotion as it happens, convincing Simon that he did what he had to do.
Her boyfriend, frustrated that he cannot locate Jessica and convinced she has disappeared for good, sells the house and prepares to move back to the city. When Simon informs Jessica of this, she convinces Simon that while she has every intention of staying with him for the rest of her life, she still feels bad for her boyfriend and asks Simon to give him some parting gesture to cheer him up.
Simon, a collector of fine wines, intends to give him one of his bottles as this gift. However, when Simon gives the bottle to him, the boyfriend sees lipstick on his collar and knowing Simon to be an eccentric introvert who lives alone begins to suspect that Jessica is being held in Simon's house and begins to plan a rescue.
When the boyfriend breaks into Simon's house, Simon attacks him and almost kills him, but Jessica is able to escape the cellar that time forgot and saves her boyfriend by attacking Simon rendering him unconscious.
The movie ends with Simon in prison, Jessica has interceded to stop him from getting the death penalty, but not for any compassionate reason, she wants to see Simon suffer by becoming the prisoner to get a taste of his own medicine, boldly declaring that he never once broke her and that she only made him believe he had. She departs the visiting room leaving Simon with a copy of her new book that she has written based on her cellar experience.
The problem with the movie is that it is predictable, despite trying to convince the audience that she had fallen for Simon and no longer had a wish to escape, you knew that it was an act and that she was only biding her time waiting for the right opportunity to make her escape. What would have been better is to have the double switcharoo by ending the movie with her killing her boyfriend and showing the audience that she had been broken, therefore giving the audience that genuine shock,
Nevertheless, for a made for TV movie this is really well made and was a thrilling watch. Ford and Benson are really good and play their parts well, whilst the other actors don't measure up to the two leads as much they clearly try.
A pleasant surprise and worth a watch.
Enjoy!