Rook
has long cared for her terminally-ill brother Conrad, out of sibling love and
dark secrets that apparently tie them together. Their only visitors are Danny,
a delivery guy from a Meals-on-Wheels-like service and Conrad’s lawyer
Charlotte, who is trying to get Anna to face up to the inevitable. When her
brother finally dies, Anna’s condition remains unremitting, prohibiting her
from attending Conrad’s funeral.
It
turns out Danny told three of his thuggish pals about the considerable amount
of cash she keeps in the house, but neglected to mention her agoraphobia. They
duly break-in expecting her to be at the funeral. Of course, finding the
grieving Anna will not dissuade the alpha dog JP or the psychotic Perry from
their mission. However, the more passive Vance is definitely thrown by her presence.
His instincts will soon be validated when Anna lures them into the specially
modified basement. It is really more of a dungeon and interrogation chamber,
where the Rook siblings apparently lured pedophiles, like their despised late
father.
For
the three outsiders and the late arriving Danny, it is sort of Rube Goldbergian
nightmare. Frankly, it is a little hard to believe anyone could install a
retractable staircase like that without attracting some sort of notice.
Regardless of credibility, Schindler gives Anna plenty of remote-controlled doors
and secret passageways, so he might as well let her take full advantage.
In
one of the coolest bait-and-switches ever, what starts as a horror film
instantly morphs into an unapologetic payback thriller. It also has the extra,
added attraction of inflicting a whole lot of pain on Rory Culkin (as the
quickly remorseful Danny). Frankly, Culkin’s presence is fittingly ironic,
since Intruders could be considered
an evil cousin to Home Alone. The
character of Anna Rook is kind of all over the place, but Beth Riesgraf
certainly conveys how messed up she is inside. Likewise, as JP and Perry, Jack
Kesy and Martin Starr are electric live-wires of despicableness. Seeing the
tables turned on them is awfully satisfying.
