By Jay of the Dead

I know, I know. So much for principles. I caved and saw “The Intruder” (2019), that crazy Dennis Quaid film which I was publicly boycotting seeing in the theater because its marketing department carelessly revealed story beats from all three acts in the trailer. I won’t start ranting about that again, but I knew that trailer depicted the entire film in microcosm, and after seeing it, I was right. Sure enough, the trailer depicts all three acts, so there are very few surprises.

Many if not most modern-day narrative films are divided up into three acts. For “The Intruder,” the act breaks are so distinctive that the film changes genres with each act: The first act is a Drama. The second act becomes a Thriller. And the third act descends into Horror. Really, it’s a very natural progression because “Drama Is Conflict.” And if you escalate and intensify that conflict until it devolves into violence and death, then the tone changes and it becomes Horror. Therefore, my genre classification for “The Intruder” is Drama / Thriller / Horror, in descending order.

Here’s the Premise: Scott and Annie want to move out of the city and find a nice home where they can start a family. Dennis Quaid plays Charlie, a seller who just wants to make sure his beloved home is purchased by a good family. So, the couple buys Charlie’s house, but the only problem is, Charlie doesn’t seem to want to let it go.

In many ways, “The Intruder” is built like a Haunted House movie, except the haunter isn’t a ghost; he’s a living, breathing nuisance. He’s always showing up and coming around because he can’t seem to move on, much like when a ghost sticks around and haunts a house.

Most Horror movies (and particularly films that begin as Dramas, transition into Thrillers, and eventually become Horror movies) gradually escalate. At first, when weird things occur, we can pretty much dismiss them and second-guess our overactive imaginations (though movies like this have music cues that validate and direct our suspicions). But as the situation escalates and suspense builds, the threat becomes clear. By then it’s usually too late. By that point, the victims are in grave danger or they are usually trapped in some way.

I was very skeptical and didn’t know whether Dennis Quaid could pull off creepy, even though he’s a fantastic actor. But I’m happy to report that he can indeed be very creepy. (Random side note: Apropos of nothing, am I the only one who didn’t know that Dennis Quaid’s first wife was Horror actress P.J. Soles, of “Halloween,” “Carrie,” and “The Devil’s Rejects” fame?) Anyway, Quaid can pull off creepy, but he’s also often funny, so it’s a very strange and uncomfortable mix — in a good way. Yes, even though “The Intruder” is meant to be serious and suspenseful, it still has a decent amount of organic humor because the guy is a weirdo and the two home-buyers are “normal” people like us.

I will caution Horror fans that the cast is small, and the Horror is in the third act, so the body count is low in this movie. On the upside, there are several socially uncomfortable moments that make you cringe. This movie would be ideal for those who like Suspense Thrillers and only mild Horror. Oh, and this movie features a Thanksgiving dinner sequence, as well as some Christmas decorating, in case you want to rent it during either of those holidays.

Since I’m not as unscrupulous as the marketing team who cut the trailers for this film, I won’t go into detail about how, but there are two unmistakable nods to Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” One of them appears in the trailer, and the other is a kill scene.

The one and only revelation in this film that has been preserved as a surprise is very pleasing to me. It is one of my favorite, creepy, “What if?” scenarios that creeps me out thoroughly late at night, when I’m the only person who’s awake in my house. I think it creeps me out the most because this particular “surprise” has happened many times in real life. It’s not a myth. To me, it’s a genuine concern.

At any rate, “The Intruder” is a satisfactorily serviceable Thriller. I love Dennis Quaid, so it’s worth seeing in my book. You don’t need to see it in the theater (especially if you wish to be stronger than I was and spite the marketing team). But I’d rate it a 6 out of 10 and say it’s worth a Redbox rental or a stream on Netflix someday, especially in November or December.

One more note: There are a number of Thrillers and Horror movies similarly titled with the word “Intruder” in the title. The best one is a late ’80s slasher set in a grocery store — with grocery store-related kills — called “Intruder” (1989). Then there’s Clive Owen’s “Intruders” (2014). And in 2015 there’s a Rory Culkin “Intruders” and a Miranda Cosgrove “The Intruders.” And now we have “The Intruder” with Dennis Quaid. It would be easy to get confused. Maybe this is why the marketing team shows the whole film in the trailer.

U.S. Theater release: May 3, 2019

Rating and Recommendation: The Intruder (2019)
Jay of the Dead = 6 ( Rental )

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