Easy to see how effectively Tracy Letts’ scary thriller might work on stage. Even with a cast of five, it functions like a classic ‘Lost Souls’ two-hander. Or does till Letts swerves into Body Horror in the last act. Creepy stuff with sadder-if-not-wiser waitress Ashley Judd meeting up for the night with shaky military vet Michael Shannon. The two something of a match: she’s being stalked by violent ‘ex’ Harry Connick Jr (excellent); he’s stalked by demons in his head. Her monster corporal/his a manifestation of bug infestation. Yikes! Their deteriorating psychological condition visually climaxing in a last act coup de théâtre opening curtain. All dutifully recreated by director William Friedkin in this low-budget, yet technically immaculate film transfer. But any effect doomed without the possibility to think Shannon’s bug paranoia might be real. And Shannon, repeating his stage triumph, is far too obviously paranoid schizophrenic, even with those nasty skin bruises, to let us imagine they ain’t self-inflicted. Judd also too busy working the sensitively angle. You see what they’re all trying to get across, but the modest result is predictable.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: CHILD’S PLAY/’72; SLEUTH/’72 & 07; DEATHTRAP/’82; the list of stage thrillers that went flat on film is a long one. Though there’s always Alfred Hitchcock’s DIAL M FOR MURDER/’54 (which hardly changed a thing) and George Cukor’s GASLIGHT/’44 (which changed a lot). Go figure. (Look up most of these in our SEARCH BOX - upper left corner.)
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