That pretty well sums it up about this "rich-girl-meets-handsome-hoodlum" suspense thriller. It all follows the usual steps of an innocent teenage girl falling into the attraction of a questionable beefcake who manages to charm her friends and family except, of course, for her father.
Mark Wahlberg radiates a perfect "wolf-in-sheep's-clothing" performance as the mysterious hunk who strongly displays sincerity and love towards Reese Witherspoon's Nicole. Considering that this was one of his earliest acting jobs at the beginning of his movie star career, he clearly showed he had what it takes to chew up the scenery. Most notably when he starts acting unhinged and obsessed halfway through the film.
This is by far though just an average romance/ psycho thriller with the usual formula of a remote wooded home under siege by a ruthless bloodthirsty gang. That's what it pretty well boils down to after Nicole finds out what a sickening heel the man of her dreams turns out to be.
This is indeed an entertaining and erotic thriller with plenty of suspense to spare, but as far as quality goes, it's just basically average fare and doesn't really offer too many major surprises. It just builds itself up into a helpless scenario, but turns to easy solutions for the conflict the victims are raging against the villains.
Mark Wahlberg is indeed an Adonis in this and Reese Witherspoon is beautiful as the lovesick heroine, but two gorgeous people aren't enough to elevate this psychotic chiller into higher quality work. It delivers on edge-of-your-seat excitement, but only to a certain extent. It does nothing to rank this higher than other fatal attraction types of flicks where romance turns into a bloodthirsty gore-fest after someone gets jilted and wants sweet revenge. This could have been better.
Mark Wahlberg radiates a perfect "wolf-in-sheep's-clothing" performance as the mysterious hunk who strongly displays sincerity and love towards Reese Witherspoon's Nicole. Considering that this was one of his earliest acting jobs at the beginning of his movie star career, he clearly showed he had what it takes to chew up the scenery. Most notably when he starts acting unhinged and obsessed halfway through the film.
This is by far though just an average romance/ psycho thriller with the usual formula of a remote wooded home under siege by a ruthless bloodthirsty gang. That's what it pretty well boils down to after Nicole finds out what a sickening heel the man of her dreams turns out to be.
This is indeed an entertaining and erotic thriller with plenty of suspense to spare, but as far as quality goes, it's just basically average fare and doesn't really offer too many major surprises. It just builds itself up into a helpless scenario, but turns to easy solutions for the conflict the victims are raging against the villains.
Mark Wahlberg is indeed an Adonis in this and Reese Witherspoon is beautiful as the lovesick heroine, but two gorgeous people aren't enough to elevate this psychotic chiller into higher quality work. It delivers on edge-of-your-seat excitement, but only to a certain extent. It does nothing to rank this higher than other fatal attraction types of flicks where romance turns into a bloodthirsty gore-fest after someone gets jilted and wants sweet revenge. This could have been better.