Review of Arlington Road (1999) by Martin D — 20 Mar 2010

Arlington Road follows in the grand tradition of Hollywood suspense thrillers that pit a lone man against a vast, hidden conspiracy--or is it a conspiracy? Jeff Bridges plays Michael Faraday, who... Arlington Road follows in the grand tradition of Hollywood suspense thrillers that pit a lone man against a vast, hidden conspiracy--or is it a conspiracy? Jeff Bridges plays Michael Faraday, who starts out as a loving, caring father and teacher but slowly turns into a desperate, crazed man searching for answers in a suburban world that has been turned upside down.

Director Mark Pellington lingers on Bridges's face as it goes from ruggedly handsome and somber to wild and crazed. As Faraday tries to uncover the truth about his new neighbors, Oliver and Cheryl Lang (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack), he also struggles with his own inner demons. Is he just imagining things, as he still has not gotten over his wife's death at the hands of what was first believed to be a terrorist, or are his fear and paranoia real? Pellington stays a few steps ahead the entire way, leading to a most thrilling and unexpected conclusion to this nightmare of suburban terror.