User Reviews

There is absolutely nothing of value in this movie. First of all, forget about the tension or suspense or mystery - because there is none of that. The plot is so hollow that you could seriously not care less what happens next - except looking forward to the end credits. For an R-rated film about sex and murder both of those things are suspiciously missing. Sure people are killed, but they are killed with cutaway shots and splashes of raspberry jam against the wall or window. And the "sex" scenes make old episodes of The Love Boat look x-rated. I guess it was writer Andrew Paquin's sister who got him the chance to make this horrid screenplay into a movie. And if she bankrolled it too, then it's probably his last. Well, it's probably is last anyway.

I can usually even enjoy watching bad movies... but not this one.

What a disappointment mostly (hee hee )because I wanted to see if Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin would show up but now I now why they did not come to the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC this year, 2010.

Not a bad story and only Brian Geraghty was in the least interesting and difficult to predict and he is very psycho looking. I love his work.

I usually would not walk out on a film but this was so tempting.

I did not want to offend and after all I paid $18.00 for my seat.

Gratuitous gore is just boring and there was no substance or depth to any of the characters. Poor casting, flat acting, lacking in any depth or substance.

I did not care for any of the characters.

Cinematography and art direction were good.

Suspense lacking.

It was so dull that I hope he re-edits it before release. Cinematography was so so.

I however still believe in Mr. Paquins potential and that must be why he got in this festival in the first place.

Almost there Mr.Paquin.

If you like watching anorexic women - watch this movie. It is disturbing and distracting to watch Trish Helfer walk around in a bikini with neck bones, hip bones, rib bones and the rest of her bones poking under her skin. I spent a good majority of the film wondering why no one had the decency to tie her up and force feed a couple burgers while explaining that she looks like a walking skeleton and this would scare the audience more than the sub par script.

You also have to suspend some reality to believe that the brother is afraid of her. One quick slap and he could have broken all those protruding bones in her 80lb body.

Anna Paquin and Steven Moyer - just a bait and switch since they had about 10 minutes of screen time.

End of movie - no idea since I turned it off. Then I ate a sandwich. Try it sometime Trish.

As usual, when I watch a film with psychopathic homicidal criminals who seem to have everything go their way despite taking ludicrous risks and being sloppy to the extreme, I sit there half angry trying to process it all.

The film is about a serial killer duo who apparently move from house to house, killing all the occupants, setting up residence for a week or two, then leaving to repeat the process again. Criminally speaking, this can go on successfully for a time and eventually they WILL get caught. They operate in a way in which they leave tonnes of evidence; fingerprints, witnesses, plus half a dozen dead bodies, people who had plans/appointments to come to the house and apparently NONE of them informing their loved ones or friends about where they were going, and thus, the police stay well out of the picture. This is what we know after having sat through half of the film, so at this point we realise 1. they arrive on scene ALREADY wanted by the police. 2. composite sketches should be being blasted all over the news. 3. chances are they should be identified by fingerprints and/or DNA (hair strands/blood). The fact that both killers, but the woman in particular are being so brazen during this film more or less gives them a 95% chance of being caught

All this being said, assuming they're the luckiest serial killers alive with an unnatural blessing to kill as many people as they want to (It's a weak poorly planned serial killer movie, so OF COURSE.), and assuming they are this lucky, let's examine the 5% window that this film lives in. One question people will always ask themselves is "how is it that no one in the neighbourhood took notice or showed suspicion." A valid question, though even more valid is the general lack of concern by people uninvolved. e.g. I once personally saw someone get kidnapped off the street and hauled into a moving van, and I didn't particularly care enough to call the police, as I was already late for my train, and I didn't see any of the other few people around reaching for their cell phones either, so this aspect of the film's integrity which other reviewers have brought up, is honestly not a worthy criticism.

Where I turn to now is the character's actions. The worst and most nonsensical aspect to me is the character driven premise... WHY does the male killer not simply kill the owner the second she walks into the room, finding her friend dead. He has absolutely no reason not to, has already killed 3 people in the house, so it makes no sense, as well as being really stagy how she backs into where he's hiding and then all fades to black and she SOMEHOW conveniently loses consciousness basically so the encounter/interaction between the two wont have to be dealt with and she can awaken later in chains. Not very smooth directing at all. That being said, the directing is VERY American school, as the film is riddled with 5 or so scenes where characters show up JUST at that pesky moment.

To top it off, an important criticism that many brought up was the dialogue and thus the motivation of the characters. Firstly, despite the owner stating that she believes the male killer is DIFFERENT than his female counterpart, he is clearly just as brutal as her, if not moreso, and there is no real worthy conflict between the 2 killers shown. He is really given NO motive, emotional, logistical, or otherwise to abandon his current companion for this new woman that he for no particular reason spared, and had no meaningful dialogue with, and thus no real basis for any emotional connection.

The ending however was more or less the final shitscoop on the turd Sunday we've been forced to swallow here; contrived, melodramatic, stagy, and the climax of an entirely unfounded plot premise for all the reasons I have listed above. Even though the acting is fairly competent, especially by the male antagonist, it really leaves you feeling nothing in the end, and honestly, I really cannot see the point in sacrificing any of your time on a film written/directed by someone who took no time to produce meaningful dialogue, and who clearly put no thought or planning into the nature of the criminal elements portrayed on screen.

I thought that the acting was above average for a horror picture but there were very few tense moments in this, it could have been much more intense during the murder scenes then it was though it was done better then the typical slasher film. It was an interesting idea with a different kind of plot but there are no real surprises or twist to this movie which left me feeling just OK about this movie, there simply wasn't a wow factor or anything that makes this film stand out. the main actor is from "The Hurt Locker" and was very good as the bad guy. Overall an average movie, just not great since it really wasn't creepy or scary in anyway.

This is quite a slick looking low-budget entry that is nothing if not well shot. It is a combination of Slasher, Home Invasion, Psychological Movies that has nothing new to offer. A sleek vista of external pretty structures and people who can be extremely ugly internally.

This is finely acted and the killings are brutal and there is an air of tension but it all seems rather vapid considering all the carnage with some incestuous carnal knowledge that is hardly explored or explained.

It is so thinly written and the short running time hardly allows for much in-depth display of interesting complex psychopathy. The Movie moves along with some intrigue but it is all as anorexic as the supposedly alluring and sexy dominatrix.

After all, it is worth a view for fans of perversion and playful and detached sociopaths who look like the ordinary, well groomed neighbors who may live on your block in the last house on the left. The original owners should have put a panic room in the cellar. View with low expectations and you might find this OK from a first time Director that has a better eye for architecture than the arcane or so called Cult Movies.

I made my husband turn it off because I can't imagine any women could be as useless and pathetic as Alice - and as an actress, she's terrible too, with that odd smirk she has she's not believable at all. Anyway home sick so I finished the movie and oh my gosh why did I waste my time! At least I was multi-tasking. I love how she had plenty of opportunities to escape or attack David and she bungles it each time, the stored bodies in the ice chests, the not-at-all nosy neighbors (should have put the house in the country or something), And finally, the end: how does someone with a steak knife in the eye have such wherewithal as Lila? And such perfect aim! As for Alice, one less breeder I say, what a milksop, your damn chain is a damn weapon! Oh but she's only had it on for a week or more, no doubt she forgot about it altogether. And that guy/friend at the end, what a complete douche - oh gee you're chained in the basement, smells like rotting death down here, you're covered in blood, a bloody woman is on the floor, you've been MIA for awhile, but what's that you're saying, R ye shuere heehaw??? OK OK just wait, let me call the police - UPSTAIRS - cause it's an emergency they get here but not an emergency that we get the F out! Come on, seriously?! Someone said it was like a high school film project, I agree, since no one seemed to take the characters, the plot, the acting or the viewers seriously! I'm willing to bet a few people (sis, sis's bf) were in this movie gratis, just to get it produced, which was a sad mistake. I don't know why I let movies get me angry, but they do, the ones that waste my time and make me feel like everyone involved must think the audience are complete Nimrods. I know there WERE some Nimrods out there that liked this movie, or at least didn't dislike it, but I'm afraid to know what movies are on their top ten list - and they probably are the first in line to see the next Saw, Final Destination, or Paranormal Activity (#3 Baby!!!!!) hahaha.

Credit IMDb A couple on the verge of a nasty divorce attempt to sell their empty love nest and move on with their lives, separately. After a successful open house they are horrified to discover, days later, that a potential buyer didn't leave their home. While Alice is being held captive in the basement, the unannounced house guest moves in upstairs. She senses her capture is being kept a rebellious secret. She knows her way only way out if she can only get out alive.

This had potential, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. I felt no sympathy for Blanchard's character, no tension, no scares, and the ending ruined some decent tension in the finale..

Performances. Brian Geraghty is OK as the conflicted psycho, but nothing more. Rachel Blanchard is easy on the eyes, but a bit disappointing in her role, while Anna Paquin probably gives the best performance.

Bottom line. Annoying villains, cheap plot, and an ending that just pis*** me off, when tension was finally apparent. Give it a miss.

3 1/2 10

Thank God I watched it on Netflix so I could forward it every 10 seconds because it was long and kind of stupid and it had a very stupid ending... didn't like it at all

Josh and, Alice ) holds an open house to sell her home. Unknowing to her, a crazy young man named David as hide in the house, come out few hours after.

Also with even more twisted Sister, they both brother and Sister sleep together in parts of this movie.

Most of the time, they just dice and slice friends of Alice who been kidnapped and trapped in the basement.

There were some very bloody moments in this movie but the whole movie was way to predicable

The whole movie just felt bland from start to end with some good looking and decent acting.

4 out of 10

A woman named Alice (Rachel Blanchard) is selling her house after a divorce and her agent is showing it off to potential buyers while she still lives in the residence. A person sneaks in and hides--hey, it's an "open house" isn't it--and awaits her to come home, not because this person wants to dodge the pesky realtor, but to meet her face to face and use her dwelling as a slaughterhouse for whoever comes in contact with it.

You're introduced to David and Lila: a couple who make a sadistic partnership, as the female is spontaneous and seductive, and the male is the silent planner type. Lila arrives at the home after the bloody fact with a friend of Alice already being killed, but doesn't know David has the homeowner Alice locked away instead of slaying her too. Lila is gone during the day and David plays Mr. Nice to the traumatized Alice with some Stockholm Syndrome to smooth her over for a possible change of heart.

Death after death is shown by both David and Lila with the weapon of choice being a kitchen knife and video camera rolling to catch the memory. Though this comes with no real point and has more forced scares going on than your neighbor's cheap garage setup during Halloween. This tries far too hard to make you uneasy without actually providing anything to substantially pull that off with, such as cuing the high pitched and grating music too early or late, or just the pacing having drastic ups and downs. Like "The Strangers" attempted, there's no background motivational factor to these perfectly normal looking villains except to show every now and again they have moments of anger and control problems. Not to mention there's only a quick little character backdrop on the victims but nothing that would make you care in the slightest. That might have been fine and dandy to creating fear of the unknown, but this is also missing the element to put you in their shoes if it was being any more minimalist. Could this happen to you when selling your house? From the tone of this movie, probably not, as the camera never bothers to leave the home and show someone enter at their own risk, or even get a questioning look through the blinds from a neighbor to put you on edge or their sadistic plans on ice. The safety barrier of the screen you're watching it on is never pulled away.

For a film aimed towards horrific murder it's awfully polite and melodramatic by trying to play on what you wouldn't expect serial killers to act or look like as one is glamorous and model-esque and the other polite and clean cut. The tone tries to be two things at once: gruesome and personal. It shows the deteriorating relationship between David and Lila, as well as the growing one with David and Alice. You'll get the side that's warm and caring to each other, and another that delivers point blank killings to everyone else. The camera follows around David and will literally sit on him doing everyday household things as if something substantial is going on between the lines. As if you're supposed to feel bad but forget that he's a maniac underneath that wholesome '50s look because he's lonely and cooks a mean dish. The interpretations left up the viewer rely on luck than truly being open to them. The paper thin storyline all the while drops little hints, but strings you along by being so vague as to lose the audience's attention long before its conclusion. They could have told me who really shot Kennedy at the end and it wouldn't have saved this.

"The Stepfather" did something similar where he pretended to be somebody he wasn't and when after he was done with the people just disposed of them; the horror being that it's a cycle and he'll only do it again. "Open House" tries to dodge what you wouldn't anticipate if you watch horror films, with not only the characters but the drama-like story line that pushes away from tried and true conventions, though somehow it couldn't maintain the juggling act as basic as it was. "The Collector" was much more effective for a recent trapped in a house movie that balanced fear, mysteriousness and suspense. (Also submitted on http://fromblacktoredfilmreviews.blogspot.com/)

After reading the reviews, I anticipated a terrible movie.

Remember: this is Paquin's debut - 1st effort....I have seen a lot worse.

while full of the normal thriller clichés and obviously working with a low budget, the acting and art direction is surprisingly good... as is the psychological tension/dynamic between the protagonist, his partner, and his captor.

all in all? not bad...

I wouldn't see it in the theatre but it would be worth a one time rental.

Alice (Rachel Blanchard) is selling her house. She returns after the Open House. She finds her friend Jennie (Anna Paquin) murdered and she gets taken captive by David (Brian Geraghty). Her ex Josh (Stephen Moyer) shows up and finds Lila (Tricia Helfer) in the hot tub. He gets murdered by Lila who turns out to be David's murderous partner.

This is written and directed by Andrew Paquin, Anna's brother. Obviously, she got all her friends to work on this project. The acting talent is top rate. There is good creepiness out of Geraghty and Blanchard is a solid victim. The story is fine especially for a straight forward horror thriller. The directing is much less competent.