- Film Review
- Reviewed By Sloan Freer
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2 out of 5
Sensitivity combines with jump scares in British director Mark Tonderai's twisting yet clichéd US debut about trust and parental neglect. A teen chiller perfect for the Twilight crowd, it sees Jennifer Lawrence's new girl in town unearth deadly secrets when she falls for troubled outcast Max Thieriot, who still lives in the neighbouring house where his sister murdered their folks. Though The Hunger Games star Lawrence is clearly slumming it, she and Thieriot deliver strong and sympathy-inducing performances, creating characters that are surprisingly well drawn for a horror movie. Unfortunately, the plot isn't as accomplished, feeling like a patchwork of second-hand ideas. The most interesting aspect - the underlying tragedy of events - is simply thrown away, lost amid a hole-riddled final third and lame cat-and-mouse climax. Imaginative direction might have camouflaged these flaws, but Tonderai takes the lazy route by eschewing genuine tension in favour of irritating "shaky-cam" visuals, sign-posted jolts and a horribly clumsy use of sound and score.
Plot Summary
A teenager moves to a new area and discovers a nearby house was the site of a horrifying incident in which a girl murdered her parents before disappearing without trace. She befriends the killer's troubled brother, but starts to worry that he may be hiding a terrifying secret. Horror, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue and Max Thieriot.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Elissa
- Jennifer Lawrence (2)
- Sarah
- Elisabeth Shue
- Ryan
- Max Thieriot
- Weaver
- Gil Bellows
Crew
- Director
- Mark Tonderai
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