Dream House (2011)

Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.

Director:

Jim Sheridan

Writer:

David Loucka

Stars:

Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Craig	...	Will Atenton
Naomi Watts	...	Ann Patterson
Rachel Weisz	...	Libby
Elias Koteas	...	Boyce
Marton Csokas	...	Jack Patterson
Taylor Geare	...	Trish
Claire Geare	...	Dee Dee (as Claire Astin Geare)
Rachel G. Fox	...	Chloe Patterson (as Rachel Fox)
Jane Alexander	...	Dr. Greeley
Brian Murray	...	Dr. Medlin
Bernadette Quigley	...	Heather Keeler
Sarah Gadon	...	Cindi
Gregory Smith	...	Artie
Mark Wilson	...	Capt. Conklin
David Huband	...	Officer Nelson

Storyline

Some say that all houses have memories. For one man, his home is the place he would kill to forget. A family unknowingly moves into a home where several grisly murders were committed...only to find themselves the killer's next target. Successful publisher Will Atenton (Craig) quit a job in New York City to relocate his wife, Libby (Weisz), and two girls to a quaint New England town. But as they settle into their new life, they discover their perfect home was the murder scene of a mother and her children. And the entire city believes it was at the hands of the husband who survived. When Will investigates the tragedy, his only lead comes from Ann Paterson (Watts), a neighbor who was close to the family that died. As Will and Ann piece together the disturbing puzzle, they discover that the story of the last man to leave Will's dream house will be just as horrifying to the one who came next.

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Plot Keywords:

amnesia | immolation | house fire | extension ladder | last day on job | 

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Taglines:

Once upon a time, there were two little girls who lived in a house.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Detrás de las paredes

Filming Locations:

Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,129,355 (USA) (30 September 2011)

Gross:

$21,283,440 (USA) (11 November 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cliffjack Motion Pictures, Morgan Creek Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Not screened in advance for critics.

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Goofs

Will is walking in town and looks into the café as a man and a woman - the woman is wearing red boots - walk towards him. He goes in, talks to the police officers and leaves a few moments later. When he does, the same couple are walking towards him again in the same direction.

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Quotes

Chloe Patterson: Mom says you see them.
Will Atenton: Yeah.
Chloe Patterson: Could you tell them how much I miss them?
Will Atenton: Yeah.

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: The Day the Proofradar Quit (2011)

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Soundtracks

"You're Still With Me"
Written by Rachael Lawrence and Deborah Ellen
Performed by 'Mavis Campbell'

User Reviews

Ward. Peter Ward.

Greetings again from the darkness. The horror/thriller idealist in me just never gives up. With three legit movie stars and a director who is responsible for one of my favorite movies, I thought this might just be the genre's rare gem. Instead, it's watchable, kinda fun, and mostly predictable.

Much of the predictability comes from the trailer, which inexplicably spoils the key twist in the film. Because of the trailer, I actually expected an additional twist to contradict the give-away. Instead, it plays out pretty much as expected, saved only by the efforts of Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz (now married in real life). Word is that the producer of the film, wrestled control away from director Jim Sheridan (In America, My Left Foot) and edited the film into it's mostly banal finished state. Such a shame.

Basic story is that a NYC white collar professional quits his job and moves his wife and two girls to their dream house in a quaint little community. Problem is, no one told them that a few years back a mom and her two daughters were murdered, supposedly by the husband who then spent years in a mental institution. With the help of a neighbor (Naomi Watts), Craig starts assembling the pieces of the murder mystery and his new home. On top of that, Elias Koteas is tracking his every move and watching the house.

The frustration with this one lies in untapped potential. So much more could have been done with Koteas, Watts and Marton Csokas who plays Watts' intense ex-husband. For two days after watching this movie, I kept coming up with new twists and turns that could have made the movie more suspenseful and entertaining. It's clear that Craig and Weisz are unhappy with the final product as they have been noticeably absent on the talk show circuit.

It's not the worst suspense thriller you'll ever see, but there are better haunted house films on the market.