Review: Dream House

Jim Sheridan’s Dream House was on my list of the most anticipated films of 2011. However, after a trailer surfaced, this anticipation was promptly turned into  a sense of disappointment. What originally sounded like an Amityville Horror for the 21st Century, actually turns out to be a cliched and forgettable mess. Sheridan’s film stars Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz as a couple who move into a seemingly perfect new home, unaware of the events that had plagued the house prior to their arrival.

Given the high caliber of  Sheridan’s previous work, it is difficult not to look at this gobsmacked. Dream House is totally void of any aesthetic style, feeling like generic ‘Halloween cash-in’ horror.  Despite a potentially interesting script, the film never quite takes off, suffering from it’s slow pace and what feels like a ridiculous amount of twists chucked in towards the ending. As for these twists, they are not particularly shocking or exciting and the sheer amount just gives Dream House an incredibly disjointed feel.

Despite, the talented cast struggle to make these two-dimensional characters of any interest whatsoever. Daniel Craig’s character is the subject of many of these twists and does well not to make the role seem quite so ridiculous as it could potentially have been. Rachel Weisz unfortunately fades into the background in a particularly dull role. There’s also Naomi Watts, who I’m a big fan of, but unfortunately is stuck in a role with no lasting impact or character.

Dream House is a drab, forgettable horror cash in that squanders its talented cast and director. What had the potential to be an intelligent psychological horror feels nothing of the sort.

Rating: 1.5/5