Cold Creek Manor

  Plot Summary

Cooper and Leah Tilson, (Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone), are tired of the stresses and strains of big city living and decide to buy a house in the country.  They stay goodbye to their New York life and move into a huge delapidated house, with their two young children.  Cold Creek Manor has a past and a few clues suggest it wasn't always a "happy" house!  It's not long before the Tilson's discover that country living isn't as safe and peaceful as they had hoped...

Review

This thriller struggles from the start and never really delivers the suspense, scares or tension that it desperately strives for.  It starts off slow as the Tilson family move to their new creepy house and even when the story begins to pick up momentum it turns out to be a fairly weak affair.  Definitely not enough jumps and scares to build up the tension and definitely not clever enough to keep you guessing.

There are a lot of clichés from the thriller/suspense category of movie.  Obviously there is the creaky house but there is even the obligatory thunder storm!

What makes the movie more disappointing is that I got the feeling that it could have been good if the story was told better. There are hints of mystery and suspense that are never really developed.  When Cooper Tilson is looking through the old contents of the house; old photos, letters and film, the suggestion is that there are some darks secrets to be discovered.  Unfortunately the story is badly told and these secrets unfold without any intrigue or surprise.

Perhaps it's because of the lukewarm nature of this thriller but Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone don't seem that convincing when it comes to looking frightened or upset.  In one part there's a lot of unnecessary shrieking and running up stairs when some snakes invade their house.  The scene is more funny than scary. 

The Tilson's two young children are played by Kristen Stewart and Ryan Wilson.

Stephen Dorff plays Dale Massie who once lived in Cold Creek Manor, with his family, but who lost the property when he was sent to jail.  His girlfriend is played by Juliette Lewis.

Bottom Line: An uneven, predictable tale that lacks real suspense.  Compared to similar thrillers like What Lies Beneath this one falls short. 

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2004

Genre: Thriller

Certificate: 15's

Director: Mike Figgis

~ Main Cast ~

Dennis Quaid

Sharon Stone

Stephen Dorff

Juliette Lewis

Christopher Plummer

Kristen Stewart

Ryan Wilson

RATING

ONLY IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO