This is supposed to be a sort of mystery thriller but suffers from a totally unbelievable plot. For the first half hour I couldn't help laughing because some of the characters behave in such bizarre and unnatural ways. The acting isn't that bad, but what is it all for? Of course not everyone is who they appear to be, and there are all kinds of surprises and double crosses. We are supposed to be distracted by all the action, murder and jive talk so we never think about what it's supposed to be all about.
Well here's the spoiler and you decide. You don't find out the full stupidity of the plot until the end, it mostly comes out a piece at a time.
*SPOILER*
Okay. Howard is an aspiring writer. He wants to take a shortcut to fame and fortune so he hires a violent thug, a stranger, right off the street to stage a home invasion at his nice middle class home, kill his two clueless friends, and by the way, have consensual sex with his wife, an event for which he carefully plans ahead of time by denying her sex for several weeks in advance so she will willingly submit to the slick advances of the home invader. So, actually, the guest is invited.
What does Howard have in mind? He actually believes that if he's the victim of a brutal home invasion he will be able to write about it and sell the story and thereby get fame and money. That, of course, is crazy. How many victims of violent crimes can attain instant fame and fortune just by writing about the crime? None, or course. Not unless the crime gets nationwide media attention for being about some very famous celebrity. What if the hired home invader just kills Howard and takes his money? Did he ever think of that? What does getting his wife seduced by the thug have to do with anything? And the wife easily submits to the thug's advances so you're left wondering what's wrong with her. Is she in on the plot or is she just stupid? (It's the latter.)
Yes, Howard is a sadist and a psychopath, but what he does doesn't make any sense. It is, in fact insane, though you are supposed to believe that he's just doing it for money and recognition. The problem is that the movie makers just didn't think this one through.
Well here's the spoiler and you decide. You don't find out the full stupidity of the plot until the end, it mostly comes out a piece at a time.
*SPOILER*
Okay. Howard is an aspiring writer. He wants to take a shortcut to fame and fortune so he hires a violent thug, a stranger, right off the street to stage a home invasion at his nice middle class home, kill his two clueless friends, and by the way, have consensual sex with his wife, an event for which he carefully plans ahead of time by denying her sex for several weeks in advance so she will willingly submit to the slick advances of the home invader. So, actually, the guest is invited.
What does Howard have in mind? He actually believes that if he's the victim of a brutal home invasion he will be able to write about it and sell the story and thereby get fame and money. That, of course, is crazy. How many victims of violent crimes can attain instant fame and fortune just by writing about the crime? None, or course. Not unless the crime gets nationwide media attention for being about some very famous celebrity. What if the hired home invader just kills Howard and takes his money? Did he ever think of that? What does getting his wife seduced by the thug have to do with anything? And the wife easily submits to the thug's advances so you're left wondering what's wrong with her. Is she in on the plot or is she just stupid? (It's the latter.)
Yes, Howard is a sadist and a psychopath, but what he does doesn't make any sense. It is, in fact insane, though you are supposed to believe that he's just doing it for money and recognition. The problem is that the movie makers just didn't think this one through.