Review of The Resident (2011) by Rowena C — 07 Apr 2011

While I can't say I enjoyed "The Resident" I can say I admired it's ability to really get under my skin and creep me out. That's what a good horror film should do so I have to give it credit for that.

The culprit of the movie is exposed pretty quickly and many film synopsis's give it away but if you know nothing about the film going into it it could play out like a bit of a twist. The villain of the film is quite effective and the actor's performance is memorable. Although the psychology of the character is never fully explained or his true reasoning revealed, which if done right could have made for a much more twisted and disturbing film. As it is it's still pretty painful to watch. The directing, editing and music are all very well done and the performances are all more than adequate. I'm not a big Hilary Swank fan but she's definitely decent in the right role and the horror films she's chosen to do throughout her career have actually proved to be some of her best work. Also, Swank makes a point to show off her well toned body throughout the film, which I must admit is quite stunning. Christopher Lee is good but underused in his short role and Jeffrey Dean Morgan is fantastic in his role. Not a great horror film but a good one if you like to be disturbed and creep-ed out (this one definitely got to me). It's another good step forward in the comeback of Hammer Film Productions.