ST. LOUIS — Theo Conroy (Kevin Bacon) is slowly being undone by paranoia and circumstance. A wealthy businessman with a marriage to a much-younger wife, Susanna (Amanda Seyfried) coming apart at the seams and a young daughter (Avery Tiuu Essex) who is showing signs of distress ever so slowly, Theo decides to take the family to a secluded mansion in the countryside of Wales.
Bad move, Theo.
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to quickly realize that the events unfolding in David Koepp's "You Should Have Left" are up to no good- but those films can make for the best psychological-horror thrillers. The kind that stretch to only around 90 minutes and play with your insecurities, as well as the characters'.
I like when movies can trace a few lines around a certain film without outright screaming at the audience, "we were inspired by this famous movie!" Here, Koepp's film reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," because it's a family heading off to an unknown house in the middle of nowhere with a few tricks up its sleeve. Tricks that could take someone's worst regrets and actions, twisting them into a conflicted state of mind until it reaches the breaking point. Koepp's film is on the same playground without using the same slide here.
Bacon and Koepp have done this before with "Stir of Echoes," another psychological thriller that presented a whodunit at the heart of a seemingly simple tale concerning a man wrecked by visions and mind games. That film had a good heart that had spoiled. This one just wants to get you out of your seat. "You Should Have Left" uses old school scare tactics to power its story. There's never-ending hallways with blinking lights, walls with pathways behind them, and a couple people who may or may not be standing right there. Without jumping, I didn't feel exactly comfortable for the last half of this film, but in a good way. I was stuck inside this terrifying loop of dread, knowing something sinister was taking place without exactly knowing the details.
The script and writing isn't always up to par, but the actors help bide time before the big third act gets underway. Bacon and Seyfried give competent performances, which lets the screenplay stretch its legs and properly settle into place. Bacon is such a versatile presence in film and television, instantly evoking feeling and sympathy from the audience with his swagger and graceful handling of the script. Seyfried adds something more to Susanna than the mere innocence of a young woman spending her days with a guy who travels with a cloud around him.
The movie needed the ending to help stick the landing. There are parts of the film that start to take the film in another direction and thankfully, those moments don't last. Pacing issues can be defeated by a fulfilling ending, and that takes place here. It's a revelation that connects the entire film together. There may be a couple holes in this plot, but enough of it works to produce a satisfying thriller.
The truth is I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre, due mostly in part to the arena of filmmaking producing little surprise and all recycled freak. "You Should Have Left" allows its story to breathe and keeps you invested with performance, helping the experience become a worthy one.
Is it as good as "Stir of Echoes?" I would say no, but that doesn't make this new Bacon-Koepp entry a bad run. I'd call it different with a whole new idea of inner demons and living tortured. You'll find out what's going on with Theo and the battles taking place inside his head. One of the things Koepp's screenplay (which was based off Daniel Kehlmann's book) does well is establish the relationship between Theo and Seyfried's Susanna. An older man with a younger, budding actress is going to create one-way roads and issues, and that is presented truthfully here.
When paranoia becomes weaponized inside a movie, the audience leaves happy. While it's not perfect and seems misguided in certain moments, David Koepp's "You Should Have Left" is an understate homage to "The Shining" and an effective thriller.
It is on demand starting today. I recommend watching it with the lights off and the chatter down to a dull roar.
More From Dan Buffa
- RELATED: 'Da 5 Bloods' Review: Why Spike Lee's ambitious Vietnam opus is his finest moment as a filmmaker
- RELATED: 'The King of Staten Island' Review: One of Judd Apatow's best films gives Pete Davidson a heartfelt showcase
- RELATED: Judd Apatow Interview | Comedy maestro found authentic humor in Pete Davidson's Staten Island story
- RELATED: 'The Last Days of American Crime' Review: A brain-dead rendition of 'Minority Report' is criminally overlong
