Pop Culture Thoughts

Rating: 8/10 (31 December 2018)

Alfred Hitchcock's influence is all over this tense, atmospheric horror thriller by director-star John Krasinski. From the tight shots to the ever-present suspense to the inventive peril the characters find themselves in, this is one of the most effective genre movies of the last few years. Co-leads Krasinski and Emily Blunt make a terrific onscreen pair, demonstrating a believable chemistry that's often missing when real-life married partners play on-screen lovers, and both have a number of crackerjack scenes. Their young co-stars, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe, also deliver tremendous performances, and overall the dynamics among the family members are believable and heighten the tension tremendously by raising the stakes. Highly recommended even for non-horror fans.