Napa Valley real-estate buyers beware: there’s a homicidal maniac on the loose! Successful couple Scott (Michael Ealy) and Annie (Meagan Good) are eager to fulfill the American Dream of owning a rustic home in California’s fabled wine country. But the cavernous, $3.5 million, ivy-covered cottage they discover seems rather remote. “Something tells me Domino’s won’t deliver,” mutters Scott about this spacious, secluded estate, called Foxglove, which is named for a highly poisonous plant that grows wild in the nearby woods. Since the upwardly mobile millennials are having marital problems, they are hoping that this move will help mend the rift. Problem is: the house’s previous owner, gun-toting widower Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid), is in no hurry to vacate the premises, despite having told them he was moving to Florida to be with his daughter. When the grass grows too high, Charlie is there on the riding lawnmower; when deer invade the garden, he arrives with potting soil; and when Christmas rolls around, he hangs the lights. Scott is understandably irate, but lonely Annie is sympathetic, perhaps initially enjoying creepy Charlie’s unexpected visits while Scott is busy working in San Francisco. Quaid’s scenery-chewing grows laughably ludicrous in this lame, cliché-laden film directed by Deon Taylor that unfortunately telegraphs its final absurdly contrived twist with far too many jump scares. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Deon Taylor, producer Roxane Avent, writer David Loughery, and stars Meagan Good and Michael Ealy, a “Making a Modern Thriller” featurette (13 min.), deleted and alternate scenes (12 min.), and a gag reel (3 min.). Bottom line: a solid extras package for an increasingly ridiculous thriller.] (S. Granger)
The Intruder
Sony, 102 min., PG-13, DVD: $30.99, Blu-ray: $34.99, July 30
The Intruder
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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