In the movie, Leelee Sobieski (Joyride, Eyes Wide Shut) plays Ruby, a problematic teen who often takes her parents for granted and has a bad relationship with her brother Rhett. But one night while attempting to sneak into her house, she discovers that her parents have died in a car crash. They then come under the guardianship of what seem like the perfect couple, the Glasses, their neighbors. But what seems to be a perfect life at first turns out to be more than Ruby bargained for.
    I saw this movie expecting a thick coating of tension and horrific atmosphere and this movie delivers. I love the tones of the movie along with the excellent camera angles. Sure, I've seen alot of thrillers before, but this has all the tense moments in the right place. Stellan Skarsgard is probably the most intense in the entire movie, boy is he creepy. He is the excellent psycho foster father. I love the little plot twists, turns, and surprises. You can tell right off the bat that you simply cannot trust them, and they show it. All the right nail-biting moments are in this and it's quite a ride.

Leelee Sobieski hams it up as the misguided teen / heroine who discovers her new foster parents plot early within the movie. She is no good in this one. Usually Leelee is excellent in alot of her roles, but I could never get comfortable with her. I was never able to see any true terror or horror from her. Usually we'd feel it with other girls in her role. Diane Lane's role is also a let-down with her character being annoying and basically useless to the story. I hated how this movie had so much potential to become an excellently contrived thriller, but it fails, and fails badly. From beginning to end it's setting up the plot, characters, and atmosphere and drops in the ending. It also tends to drift off from the actual purpose and becomes awfully anti-climactic. This felt so stale and dull that after a while it leaves you feeling dirty. I expected alot more and alot better plot devices but got nothing. We never ever get a true explanation as to the parent's death. I found myself asking alot of questions. Did the neighbors kill them? How? Why were the parents out again? Why did Diane Lane's character choose to die next to Sobieski's character? Did the foster parents buy off the Rhett? It's never explained. The ending is basically a let-down and I found myself not really giving a damn about the main characters. Too bad.

So, once again I reiterate, this movie is a let-down, it has so much potential and structure to become an excellent thriller yet it doesn't deliver.