Review of Arlington Road (1999) by Dan K — 23 Apr 2008

One of the more highly acclaimed thrillers of its year. this has been on my "interested to watch" list for a long while. And indeed, I'm glad to have finally gotten down to it, because Arlington Road is a well crafted movie that plays on paranoia. Paranoia based on a very common suspicion "How well do you really know your neighbour".

Had it been released after its time, Arlington Road would have proved extremely controversial for its "home-grown terrorism" theme. Indeed, its finale looked like something straight out of the horrors of 9/11.

All the while, the film is propped up by sterling performances of its two lead actors, Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins. Bridges plays the suspicious neighbour and he makes every bit of the paranioa feel real. Another equally fine actor, Tim Robbins exudes a menacing presence that up till the movie's halfway mark, keeps you guessing "is he" or "isn't he". In fact, it is the fine interplay between the two characters that makes the film a compelling watch.

Kudos also to director Mark Pellington (who also directed the Mothman Prophecies) for keeping the film drum tight especially during its second act, all the way to its twist ending that is truly shocking.

If you're looking for a good old-fashioned thriller, this is probably one of the best there is.