The Intruder is the story of a couple whose newly bought house is eyed upon by the very guy who sold it to them. Happily-married couple Scott and Annie Russel plan to buy a house in Napa Valley away from the noise of New York. They found one too, called Foxglove. The owner of the house is Charlie Peck. Charlie explains that he will be leaving for Florida, where his daughter Cassidy lives. But day after day, the couple finds him returning to their home. He even addresses it as his house at times. How will this turn out for her and Scott? That’s what the movie is all about.
The Intruder does manage to establish itself as a thriller. Despite being repetitive at times in its scary quotient, the movie doesn’t bore. Much more could have been done with the character of Charlie. His obsession with his house seemed to move him in a way that didn’t match with the movie’s ending. He isn’t just a maniac. There’s more to him than meets the eye.
It’s All About Charlie
Dennis Quaid does a good job as Charlie. His expressions are apt. Moreover, from the very beginning, we realize, thanks to his expressions, that he has secrets in him. Yet, his portrayal of Charlie as a nice guy is also compelling. In this way, Quaid manages to switch between these two natures of his character very subtly and with ease. Michael Ealy as Scott and Meagan Good as Annie do not have much to do in the movie other than catalyzing Quaid’s character. This they do nicely. Honestly speaking, The Intruder is about the Intruder, i.e., Charlie. From his mental state to his rage to his apparent niceness, every emotion was flawless.
Moreover, he quietly listens to Scott as he insults him at the pub, and later on, in front of Foxglove, it feels as if he doesn’t mean to indulge in their life. All he wants is to take care of his house or for it to be taken care of. He didn’t like it when Scott’s friend Mike threw a cigarette butt on the grass. He didn’t like it when Scott removed his painting from the drawing-room. And he didn’t like it when Scott put up security lights on the house. All these changes, along with the fact that he only had to sell his house because he needed money, took shape in the form of an intruder.
Is Charlie a Predator?
However, there is one question that will come to many viewers. Rather, it won’t be unusual for them to ask it. And that is, is Charlie a sexual predator? Although we may tell ourselves that this nature of his was particularly directed towards Annie, at the back of our heads, we know that the same would have happened if there was any other girl. But it didn’t have to be this way. It just makes him less scary and more like any other random intruder. This ruins his character.
The Craving That Lingers
Does Charlie crave the love of a wife? Does he crave the love of a daughter? In all probability, he does. And with Annie being the only woman he is in touch with, both the cravings manifest in her form. But all this doesn’t change the fact that he is a pathological liar and a murderer, as his daughter Cassidy mentions. And it was but fate that his death would be at the hands of the occupants of his very house.
The ending was just as we had expected. He would try to kill the occupants of his home but instead die. Had it been the other way around, or if he had at least survived, the story may have made for a better ending. But for now, The Intruder is a one-time watch. If you like thrillers, the little good there is in it, all of it is brought about by the Intruder himself.
The Intruder is a 2019 Drama Thriller film directed by Deon Taylor.
