Plot briefly - daughter Jody is cruelly raped in city apartment, after which loving Mom moves them to supposed safety of upscale suburbia. But is it. We'll see.
What interested me was youthful Jodi's traumatized mental state after being raped by a stranger. Actress Stranahan does a good job in this early part expressing mental imbalance without going over the top. For example, her fascination with sneaky photography of neighbors could be traceable to that trauma, or her accusing boy Nick of the later murder crime without evidence could also be a result.
Too bad the screenplay soon returns her to normality through turn-around puppy love with neighbor Nick. Then too, suspense is undercut by a too-early reveal of the killer that removes the fun of a guessing game. Without these give-aways, we might even suspect Jodi as the killer, imbalanced as she initially is. That unknown would have considerably raised the movie's suspense level to a fascinating degree. Instead, the screenplay opts for a more conventional type suspense rather than exploring the rich potential of Jodi's lingering trauma.
Nonetheless, the flick has several notable touches - the real suburban neighborhood with its upscale homes; the unusual all-girl showdown, poorly done though it is; and good crisp eye-catching photography.
All in all, the suspenser strikes me as average at best, with a squandered potential at worst. Anyway, despite the downside, it's probably worth a quick look-see.
What interested me was youthful Jodi's traumatized mental state after being raped by a stranger. Actress Stranahan does a good job in this early part expressing mental imbalance without going over the top. For example, her fascination with sneaky photography of neighbors could be traceable to that trauma, or her accusing boy Nick of the later murder crime without evidence could also be a result.
Too bad the screenplay soon returns her to normality through turn-around puppy love with neighbor Nick. Then too, suspense is undercut by a too-early reveal of the killer that removes the fun of a guessing game. Without these give-aways, we might even suspect Jodi as the killer, imbalanced as she initially is. That unknown would have considerably raised the movie's suspense level to a fascinating degree. Instead, the screenplay opts for a more conventional type suspense rather than exploring the rich potential of Jodi's lingering trauma.
Nonetheless, the flick has several notable touches - the real suburban neighborhood with its upscale homes; the unusual all-girl showdown, poorly done though it is; and good crisp eye-catching photography.
All in all, the suspenser strikes me as average at best, with a squandered potential at worst. Anyway, despite the downside, it's probably worth a quick look-see.