By Rich Lowry, NR's editor hat Lies Beneath tries to do for the bathtub what Psycho did for the shower. What Lies Beneath could have been as good as The Sixth Sense . She has gone missing, and her disappearance is related to strange noises and accidents in the house. This is a very good setup because marital betrayal has such a deeply unsettling aspect. But What Lies Beneath still delivers its jolts.
Thunderstorms are always scary.
Mist and fog are always scary. So is not knowing what's behind a given door. Most reviews have criticized the movie for trailing off in the second half. But it's not that, so much as how much better it could have been throughout. Even so, some people now will probably think twice before breaking out the bubble bath.