Blindsided (2013) User Reviews

A smooth Thriller without any Surprises

[simon-d-cesair · 6/10 · 27 June 2013]

You might like this movie if you enjoyed: Columbus Circle (1996), Brake (2012)

Long Story Short: Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), a former Military photojournalist, has lost her sight due to an incident in Afghanistan. She lives in a penthouse with her boyfriend Ryan (Andrew W. Walker) and feels safe there even though her sister (Kaniehtiio Horn) and brother-in law (Trevor Hayes) constantly tell her that they don't trust Ryan. It turns out that Ryan does have a secret and, which gets Sarah in great danger.

Review: I have never heard of that movie before but I thought I give it a shot, and it was not a bog let down, but I wasn't blown away either. The beginning is very strong and has a few "Edge- of- your- seat" – moments, but it doesn't keep this pace up, especially since there aren't any twists besides one tiny one at the beginning. I am not sure how her past of being a photojournalist in Afghanistan helped developing the story either, as far as I am concerned they didn't even have to mention why she was blind. All these flashbacks from her past seemed like fillers to me. The acting was decent, I saw a few nice skyscraper shots, but I was hoping for a big reveal at the end which didn't happen. Penthouse House is definitely a one- time watch but not a bad one.

Rating: 5.5

Entertaining, but not outstanding...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 22 December 2015]

The storyline in "Penthouse North" was fairly generic and predictable, but it still made for an entertaining enough movie. However, it is not the type of movie that you watch more than once.

The story is about a war photographer by the name of Sara, who loses her eyesight while on assignment. Years later, living a reclusive life with her boyfriend, Sara comes home to find her boyfriend murdered and the killer still in the apartment.

Story-wise then "Penthouse North" wasn't particularly innovative or outstanding, but it was entertaining enough for what it turned out to be. It was adequately paced, but didn't really have many 'edge-of-your-seat' moments, which a good thriller should have.

What made the movie watchable was the acting performances of Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton.

There are far better and exciting thrillers available, but "Penthouse North" is still worth giving a chance. Who knows, it might just be what you have been looking for.

Mediocre movie but Michelle Monaghan is good as usual

[Seth_Rogue_One · 5/10 · 25 November 2015]

Almost came close to giving it a 6 but I don't really think it has much replay value so I'll just leave it at a five.

Got interested in watching this after being pleasantly surprised by Michael Keaton's performance as a hit-man in MERRY GENTLEMAN so I was a little let down when he hadn't shown up in the first 25 minutes, but once he pops up (closer to the 30 minute mark), he becomes one of the key characters in the film.

Has a bit of a rough start in terms of truly getting going and feels slightly amateurish but once it gets going it gets decent enough to keep watching, Michelle Monaghan initially felt a little miscast during the war-segments but once she goes blind she feels more natural.

And even though Michael Keaton never feels truly threatening his screen-presence speaks for itself and makes it work somehow, it helps that Monaghan portrays her characters fear very well.

Barry Sloane is the third lead in the film and he's just okay, not bad but he doesn't come across as terribly menacing either and doesn't have the same star-power charisma that helped Keaton to make his role a bit better than it was.

As far as the story goes, we've kinda seen it all before although minor details feel fresh but they could have done so much more with it.

Yeah overall not a great movie, but not a complete disaster either.

Decent to watch on a slow Sunday afternoon perhaps.

Slick little thriller. Benefits greatly from Michael Keaton

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 7/10 · 8 March 2016]

Penthouse North is a vicious little 90's inspired slice of thriller fun, which sadly seems to have gained zero marketing and promotion, so unless it catches your eye on US Netflix or Shaw On Demand (which is where I watched it), you'll probably never even know you missed it. It's nothing groundbreaking, and sometimes is very predictable, but as I found myself calling plot twists on the dime, and figuring out story beats before they happened, I didn't find myself frustrated or feeling cheated out. I got a burst of nostalgia for the 80's/90's time period when these type of thrillers were in full bloom. Michelle Monaghan throws herself into the role of Sara, an ex-war photojournalist who was blinded in an incident. She lives in an ornate NYC penthouse with her boyfriend now, only just beginning to adjust to her new condition and emerge from reclusiveness. On New Year's Eve, that auspicious time of year that buzzes with possibility, trouble comes knocking in the form of homicidal criminals in search of something hidden within the apartment. We are then treated to the archetypal game of cat and mouse as she fights tooth and nail for her survival. The film benefits greatly from a frenzied performance from Michael Keaton as Hollander, the lead criminal and a real piece of work. Keaton rarely plays in the bad guy arena (check out Pacific Heights for a more restrained yet equally dastardly turn), but he's got a reptilian ferocity that's equally scary and amusing, sometimes both at once. His Hollander is a royal prick, and oodles of fun to watch. Mark Mancini composes a solid score of jangly apprehension, and the film makes great use of its setting, with several clammy moments that didn't sit well with my fear of heights. Good stuff.

Tense and keeps your interest as long as it lasts

[chrichtonsworld · 6/10 · 6 January 2015]

Penthouse North is a thriller that has slipped under the radar because it wrongly has been branded as unoriginal and generic. Most thrillers are unoriginal. However there are several elements one can focus on to keep things fresh. And I, like many can't get enough of twists and turns especially ones you don't see coming at all. This one does not rely on twists and turns. In a way that is going against the norm. Many thrillers these days are build around surprises which I like. But what I don't like is how they forget to build up to it. Often it comes out of the blue mostly just to shock you without actually having put real effort to make good use of scenery and atmosphere. One of the criticisms towards Penthouse North is that it uses a concept that has been done many times in the Seventies and Eighties. I don't see any reason why it can't be reused in this decade. It's a simple mechanic to limit our main character's movements. And therefore very effective. I am not going to say what it is. And I suggest you don't read about the premise or watch the trailer since the viewing experience will be so much better when you don't know anything. However that does not mean that this film is a little predictable. But what it lacks in surprises it compensates with very good buildup of tension. It's not always evenly paced but it's not boring. On top of that we have some decent to good acting. Michael Keaton for example might not give it all his best in this one. But he is one that never disappoints. At least I have yet to see one where he does. And here it is no different. He brings what is needed to the table convincingly and that is what matters. Penthouse North may not contain real surprises but it is one that is filled with tense moments and keeps your interest as long as it lasts.

Would have been better if a blind wrote the script

[OJT · 4/10 · 20 February 2014]

A blind reclusive war photographer is living in a penthouse in New York, when she is experiencing that someone has come into her apartment. Too late she senses that there's someone there.

Well it doesn't take long before the action gets going, that's the good thing. Also the actors are doing an OK job. Nothing extraordinary, but OK job. Michael Keaton is always good in these kind of roles. Director Koseph Ruben is experienced, and has directed "Sleeping with the enemy", "The forgotten" and "The good son" amongst others. Quite good films. I don't like the war time flashbacks though. The cutter hasn't done a favorite job here.

This is very mediocre filmmaking, and has troubles in engaging me, mainly due to the script. Strange, because David Loughery, the man behind, had done good scripts like "Lakeview Terrace" and "Passenger57".

What's evident, is that blind people sense more than it's the case here. It's simply impossible to imagine a blind person being this motionless, and not even being able of smelling blood when it's out in ounces on the kitchen floor. And also another thing, when she takes out her white stick long after going out in the streets. And then a penthouse window which can be broken with throwing a chair!? Come on! This film would gave been much better if a blind had been involved in the script writing, do that stupid things could be avoided.

If you want to watch a similar themed move, seek out "Blind" by Eskil Vogt instead, which is a completely profound experience compared to this. (Blind was a selected movie, and later prize winner at Sundance Film Festival in 2014.)

The film is very predictable. So predictable it actually hurts. But if you don't mind, it's an OK watch. But if you don't wasn't to use time on mediocre films, you'll find much better!

Wait Until Dark - Again

[dtdenver-987-925546 · 6/10 · 30 December 2017]

I'm old enough to remember being scared silly by Audrey Hepburn's movie of the 60's - a blind woman being terrorized for something her husband stole. The hand grabbing her ankle still makes me screech. This movie is nothing original but still suspenseful in a more current way - more violence, more sexual threat. However, a huge plot hole - a dead body STINKS. Blood stinks, a body "letting go" in death stinks, a sweaty killer stinks. Also, if she could hear the guy on the balcony at the end, why couldn't she hear (or smell or feel) a guy standing a foot in front of her?

blind beauty in danger

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 30 March 2023]

It's New Year's Eve in New York City. Sara (Michelle Monaghan) is blind and living with boyfriend Ryan in his penthouse apartment. She returns home to find Ryan murdered by Chad (Barry Sloane) who is looking for his stolen money. She manages to escape to the street where police detective Hollander (Michael Keaton) protects her.

This is another blind-beauty-in-danger movie. It's an old trope, most notably Wait Until Dark (1967). Monaghan is the beauty. Barry Sloane is very creepy. Michael Keaton is very good. There are two big issues. First, it's such a worn-out premise. This needs something more to surprise the audience. While it has some interesting scenes, it never actually surprises. I like the look of the stairs. I like the ice cubes. I like fireworks. Non of it raises the movie to anything compelling. Second, it's obvious that this is Canada for New York. The green screen work out on the balcony is uncomfortably close to The Room. It makes the movie look cheap. It would be better if the location is unknown. This is derivative by definition and execution.

Lifetime Channel movie better than expected

[LiveLoveLead · 7/10 · 6 January 2014]

Lifetime Channel movies are getting better...a little. They are using more well known movie actors, like Michael Keaton in this one. Blindsided is still not an award winning script or performance but it's much better than some (mind you I'm a Lifetime movie watcher, no matter how sappy, although I'm using a bit more discretion with my time nowadays) This movie has decent acting & suspense. It's still a bit predictable, but keeps you interested. The lead Michelle Monaghan is believable (and pretty) as a blind woman pursued by criminals, who think she knows where their "goods" are hidden. It reminds me of Audrey Hepburn's, 1967 classic film, Wait Until Dark, a much better movie. If you need something to watch on a slow weekend this will do. If you are a Lifetime movie watcher, this is a good one. 6.5 stars in my humble opinion. Jan 2014 (watched when first aired on TV)

pathetic

[blanche-2 · 5/10 · 24 December 2015]

Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton star in "Blindsided," a 2013 straight-to-video film coproduced by Keaton for reasons known only to him.

Monaghan plays a former photojournalist, Sara, who was blinded by a suicide bomber while covering a war and still suffers from PTSD. If she didn't suffer from it, she would have been by the time the action in this film finished.

On New Year's Eve, the man she is living with, Ryan (Andrew Walker) is killed by a former associate from whom he stole a fortune in diamonds. Sara has been out, and it takes her a while after she returns home to stumble across the body, and the perpetrator (Barry Sloane) is still in the apartment. He is joined by the brains of the organization, Hollander (Keaton) and together they try by various sadistic means to find out where the loot is.

This is really cliché-ridden claptrap, derivative, predictable, and how dare anyone compare it to Wait Until Dark. You know every move the villains are going to make. What's more, you know where the diamonds are hidden. You also know what the end of the film is going to be. It's all too obvious.

Michael Keaton does a terrific job, but this is a generic mean guy role. Michelle Monaghan does okay, but these are all generic characters there to serve the predictable action.

There were a lot of holes in this thing. First off, why not look for the diamonds in the apartment? Or a key to a safe deposit box? How do you know Sara knows where they are? Quite possibly she knows nothing of Ryan's past and therefore nothing about any theft. And what a place to hide them. If this had been shown in a theater, the entire place would be yelling out the hiding place.

Secondly - and this I really didn't understand - this is a 2013 release. Okay, Sara gets into a room and locks the door. She gets on her computer, which takes vocal commands. And she's going to send an email. Well, I hope the person is checking messages. No cell phone with a quick connection to 911? A phone she can keep on so she can be found, should she not be able to get out her address? Though in the time it took her to get onto her email, she certainly could have. The woman is blind, and all she has if she needs help is a computer where she can e-mail someone? We know she had one while she was out. I think someone physically challenged would have it on her at all times.

I can't go on. Skip this movie. Rent Wait Until Dark where an entire audience screamed OUT LOUD at one part. They would have screamed here too - at the box office for their money back.

Not lifetime

[sherriereneee-183-892349 · 10/10 · 7 January 2014]

This is not a lifetime movie. It's actually called Penthouse North. Lifetime just changed the name and called it their own. It's a great movie though. The idea of this happening to a blind woman is much more interesting than a person who can see. I love Michelle Monaghan as actress and she's great in this movie. Michael Keaton is always one of my favorites and them two together makes this movie a whole lot better. If this were a lifetime movie there would be a cheesy, stupid love story about how the criminal "just needs someone to love him". Again though, this is not a lifetime movie. I don't know how they were allowed to change the name. Or say it was their movie.

Pretty Good

[bob-rutzel-239-525430 · 7/10 · 16 September 2015]

Sara (Monaghan) a former photo journalist in Afghanistan became blind from an incident there lives with Ryan (Andrew W. Walker) who isn't all he says he is according to Sara's friends. When she returns from buying liquor for the New Year's Eve celebration she discovers that she is not alone in the penthouse, and Ryan is nowhere to be found. Enter Chad (Barry Sloane) and Hollander (Keaton) who are looking for something Ryan stole from them.

This movie is also known as Blindsided, and DAS PENTHOUSE.

Sara claims Ryan only told her that he was an investor and never told her where anything of value was hidden in the penthouse, but Chad and Hollander don't believe her. Hence we have a movie to see if Sara is telling the truth. And so it goes as Sara gets beaten up and threatened and we cringe quite a bit as she gets tossed about quite brutally.

The acting all around is very good. Nothing is overdone.

Ah, I see you are looking for a twist. Sorry, there isn't one. In 2013, twists were not mandatory in movies as they are now. (really?) What we are left with is seeing if Sara, who is blind, can overcome two brutes who just might kill her if she gives them what they want. (hey, you did say she didn't know anything, didn't you?) What do you think? (7/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.

Fair Potboiler in the Tradition of "Wait Until Dark"

[zardoz-13 · 4/10 · 5 October 2017]

Michael Keaton portrays a psychotic killer searching for $20-million in diamonds in "Money Train" director Joseph Ruben's lackluster suspense thriller "Blindsided," alternately entitled "Penthouse North," co-starring Michelle Monaghan. Just about everybody involved in this half-baked crime saga has done better work elsewhere. You cannot watch this potboiler without comparing it with Terence Young's seminal blind woman in peril suspenser "Wait Until Dark," though "Lakeview Terrace" scenarist David Loughery has conjured up a lesser effort.

The film opens in with our heroine Sara Frost (Michelle Monaghan of "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang") as a civilian photojournalist embedded with American troops in war-torn Afghanistan who loses her sight when a female suicide bomber cradling a baby doll in her arms blows up in front of her. The action fast-forwards three years later with Sara in a relationship with a mysterious hunk, Ryan (Andrew W. Walker of "Ambush at Dark Canyon"), who wants to marry her. She keeps holding out. After striking out on her own in New York City to buy some champagne for Ryan, she re-enters her apartment and discovers to her horror that her boyfriend has been stabbed to death. The knife-wielding assailant has stuck around for her, and Chad (Barry Sloane of "Noah") threatens to kill her if she doesn't tell him where Ryan stashed a fortune in cash. The problem here is that Chad gained entrance to an apartment complex without arousing suspicion, and Ryan opened the door and let his former accomplice in crime into his place. This makes no sense, but then most of this generic thriller doesn't make sense. Ruben and Loughery keep things thoroughly contrived. For example, our heroine manages to escape from Chad's clutches, scrambles down a stairway, and never screams or pounds on anybody's door for help. Furthermore, she never trips the fire alarm, because that would have alerted the police. The closest that they come to involving somebody else is the doorman, Antonio (Phillip Jarrett of "Exit Wounds"), who tries to rescue our heroine but winds up getting Chad's knife in his guts.

The action expands momentarily by the confines of the penhouse with a balcony when Sara escapes from the apartment building. She begs everybody that she encounters to help her. Predictably, a helpful guy, Hollander (Michael Keaton of "Batman"), escorts her back to her building while masquerading as a cop. She realizes the horrible mistake that she has made when Chad joins them, and she ends up stuck back in her apartment with two greedy killers. She learns that Ryan stole millions from Hollander and Chad, and they want to find his cache of bills and diamonds. Another flaw in this flimsy thriller is the inclusion of a black cat that is our heroine's pet. Earlier when she came back to the apartment, walking around unknowingly about Ryan's murder, Sara finds her cat Shadow. As a cat owner, I can attest that strangers spook my cats and they won't come back out into the open until the strangers leave. Hollander has no problem scooping Shadow up into his arms. This is unbelievable. Later, Hollander hurls the cat over the balcony. Cat lovers will hate this scene, and they will probably stop watching this nonsense at that point. Okay, spoiler alert, the cat survives a fifteen-story plunge, and it emerges at the end. Meanwhile, it is a cat and mouse game between Hollander and Chad with Sara as the villains struggle to get the information out of her about the whereabouts of Ryan's stash. Little about this by-the-numbers thriller is memorable. Aside from Hollander's lying, the filmmakers don't have any big surprises to enhance the tension. Eventually, Sara's pregnant sister and her NYPD husband show up at the apartment, and Sara manages to send them packing, primarily because her sister's water breaks and her husband has to rush her to hospital.

Michelle Monaghan plays the damsel-in-distress without a clue, while Michael Keaton is wasted in a bland role. Keaton usually blows away his co-stars, but this time he radiates little wattage as a killer. None of the dialogue is remotely quotable. "Blindsided" qualifies as a fair thriller, but nothing that you should waste your time watching.

A basic thriller with basic everything but not horrible, Keaton's always good!!

[joiningjt · 6/10 · 26 January 2021]

It's a very basic thriller no good twists no thrilling story not much an actor can sink their teeth into. Keaton is always good or great but not much here to do anything extra with. He was better as a villian in Pacific heights. It's an entertaining movie not bad I'd give it a good to very good. Worth a watch once over not much out there and its Keaton in a different genre so that's always fun. So I'd say give it a once over.

Decent yet generic

[toodlesmickey · 7/10 · 14 January 2014]

The director of this movie made the original Stepfather - which is among one of the great horror films of the 80s. When I saw this movie it had been renamed to "Blindsided" and was on the Lifetime Network. Indeed - it does very much feel like a slightly better than made-for-TV movie.

All of the performances are good - but the main problem lies in the script. It just doesn't have that much originality going for it. This seems to be one of those movie that a producer thought "hey if we shoot all in one location" it'll be cheap. Well, if you shoot all in one location, stuff still needs to happen, and unfortunately not much does.

That said, this isn't a bad movie but is the type of movie you don't have to concentrate hard on. The ending was very sharp and seemed quickly cut off as if they had run out of money for the shoot. I give a 7/10 because of good acting and direction.

Derivative thriller that grows duller as it goes along

[MissSimonetta · 4/10 · 2 March 2020]

Let's not beat around the bush: PENTHOUSE NORTH is a modernized rip-off of WAIT UNTIL DARK. Both movies have the same core premise: a woman blinded in an accident (or in this case, a terrorist attack) is terrorized in her NYC apartment by criminals out to find stolen goods brought to her home, only she does not know where they are. Unfortunately for PENTHOUSE NORTH, despite more overt violence, it isn't even an eighth as scary as the older movie, which brilliantly built to a chilling confrontation in the dark and culminated in actual development for the traumatized, insecure protagonist played with real warmth and vulnerability by Audrey Hepburn. Heck, PENTHOUSE NORTH's not even as memorable as other thrillers which also used this concept in the past fifty years. SEE NO EVIL and HUSH are also superior thrillers about women with disabilities in peril, mainly because they are actually, well, thrilling. PENTHOUSE NORTH's highest dramatic moment is when Michael Keaton throws a cat off a roof. That's how lacking in tension this movie is.

The biggest problem with this movie is that the heroine's disability feels needless. Aside from one or two scenes with the men hiding around when she thinks she is alone, Sarah could have been just a woman with sight and the movie would have largely played out the same. The Afghanistan prologue and flashbacks are beyond pointless: the main action takes place three years after Sarah is blinded, by which time she's adjusted to her condition, more or less, making me wonder why the war-scene flashbacks are necessary since they lead to no significant character development or revelations. Aside from learning her boyfriend is a criminal (or... did she? The ending scene suggests she might have known... I think??), Sarah does not change or grow.

The thrills are mostly predictable and the villains are basic types. The character Chad is presented like a scary psychopath, but he's more of a dumb thug, and Michael Keaton phones it in as the smooth-talking brains of the criminal duo. There's not much of a cat-and-mouse game going on between Sarah and her assailants: it's mostly them torturing/groping/threatening her, then she briefly finds a means of escaping, only to be recaptured, rinse and repeat. Stakes don't build. Sarah never changes as a character. Nothing.

And that's this movie as a whole: a generic waste of time that can't even rise to the level of so bad it's good.

The movie is good enough despite using familiar theme

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 30 November 2022]

I saw this movie as "Penthouse North" and not as "Blindsided" which has Sara (Michelle Monaghan) stations herself at home at a "penthouse hotel" hence the title, who was blinded by a suicide bomber employed as a professional photographer at the desert storm war. Her live-in boyfriend is said to be an investor of some kind jewel comp. And it is only then as soon as she returns home she is then terrorized, first by Chad (Barry Sloane) and then later by Hollander (Michael Keaton) regarding the recovery of some of those jewels.

If the theme is familiar that is because it is, it's called "Wait Until Dark" starring Audrey Hepburn as the blind protagonist, Susie victimized by Roat (Alan Alda) and Mike (Richard Crenna). Some of the inconsistencies regarding "Blindsided" is that although Sara lives in a penthouse suite, other neighbors should also be able to hear some of the noises that happened as well whether if it's a gun shot or a fall. And when the fireworks happen where are her neighbors at? It is those questions and more I cannot give it no more than a 6 for it does have a satisfying conclusion it still needs to address more questions.

Another terrible home invasion thriller

[estebangonzalez10 · 2/10 · 18 July 2013]

¨Sarah just tell me where the diamonds are.¨

Penthouse North is a thriller that unfortunately never manages to thrill because of the terrible screenplay. This is one of those movies that you know is going to be bad from the opening scenes, and despite starring two reliable actors like Michael Keaton and Michelle Monaghan the film is really dull and predictable. The film was directed by Joseph Ruben, who is mostly known for his 1991 film Sleeping with the Enemy, but is responsible for other titles such as The Forgotten, Money Train, and The Good Son. Most of the movies he's directed have been bad, but this is probably his worst film. Ruben teamed up with the screenwriter he worked with in Money Train, David Loughery, and if you thought the action in that movie was laughable just wait until you see Penthouse North. The only positive thing I can say about this film is that it is only 80 minutes long, but even at that amount of time it still felt long because of how dull the story was. I was excited to see Michael Keaton back in a bigger role (I think the last time I saw him in a lead role was in White Noise) and he is probably the best thing about this movie, but it is still not worth the watch.

Sara (Michelle Monaghan) was a photographer during the war in Afghanistan where she suffered a severe accident in an explosion and was diagnosed with permanent blindness. Three years later we see Sara living in a nice penthouse with her boyfriend, Ryan (Andrew Walker). It{s the last day of the year so she decides to go out to the store to buy some drinks and when she returns she finds her boyfriend's body covered in blood. The killer is still in the house and begins to ask her about the whereabouts of the money that Ryan had stolen from him. The criminal's name is Chad (Barry Sloane) and he holds her kidnapped in her home until she tells him about the money. Michael Keaton also has an important role in this film, but I don't want to give too much of the plot away despite the twists being rather predictable.

This is yet another failed attempt at a home invasion thriller (as bad as the one starring Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage; Tresspas). The plot is predictable, the dialogues are stupid, and the performances are nothing out of the ordinary. There is no character development whatsoever and the flashbacks with Monaghan's character are completely pointless. There is no tension at all in this movie and there isn't even a moment of suspense. Everything is pretty much just unremarkable. This is an early contender for worst film of the year, but no one is probably going to see it anyway.

An OK movie that is generic & predictable but the reason to watch is to see Keaton as a psycho bad guy, he really saves this.

[cosmo_tiger · 6/10 · 21 April 2015]

"The only thing standing between you and that psychopath in there is me." Sara (Monaghan) was an embedded photo journalist who lost her eyesight in an attack. She is living day to day and getting by. When she comes home she finds her husband murdered and no idea who did it or why. When Hollander (Keaton) enters the scene she realizes why he was murdered and her only hope of getting out alive to to find something she didn't know existed. This is a movie that is worth seeing, even though it is fairly generic and predictable. The real reason to watch this though is to see Keaton as a bad guy. He does such a good job in this type of role and I really wish he would do it more often. The biggest flaw with this movie is that it took a pretty decent 45 minute TV show idea and stretched it out into an hour and a half. It started to lose steam and get way too repetitive toward the middle and stumbled to the end. Once again though, the movie isn't all that terrible and is worth seeing once. Overall, an OK movie that is generic and predictable but the reason to watch is to see Keaton as a psycho bad guy, he really saves the movie. I give it a B-.

Home invasion doesn't deliver

[Austin_Powers-1 · 2/10 · 29 October 2013]

The main reason I rented PENTHOUSE NORTH was because of Michael Keaton. To me that man is an icon, and I have loved him ever since Beetlejuice and Batman. But in this film he and the rest of the cast struggles with a horrible and simple script.

The premise of a blind woman getting her home invaded is pretty creepy. The major problem is the complete lack of story- and character development and thousands of plot holes.

The acting is basic routine and feels like the actors know they are a part of a lousy film. The characters are shallow and worst of all, you never get to know why the bad guys are doing what they are doing.

Besides a decent start, I got really frustrated watching this film. It feels like beneath the surface there are a suspenseful and scary thriller. But in the end it's unresolved and unsatisfying.

Perfectly entertaining Michael Keaton thriller...now on Netflix!?

[peteryac · 10/10 · 19 October 2021]

This is the kind of movie that was never advertised, barely went to theaters, made no money and disappeared immediately. This kind of annoys me, because in terms of its technical and artistic merit it's at least as good, if not better, as the thrillers coming out today from Netflix, HBOMax, and the rest. I normally hate to use phraseology like this, but in the case its true, so here goes: Is it an undiscovered masterpiece? NO. Is it a proficient, entertaining, and well-made movie with quality work in every department? YES. Micheal Keaton is terrific as always; this is from the period when he was eager to get back in the mainstream and he's firing on all thrusters. Nobody phones anything in. As a Keaton fan I was very please to watch it. I'll be spoiler-free but I'll just say about his character that he seems to be trying to avoid what a more ruthless type of professional would do in five seconds, so you can't bring yourself to be totally against him. WARNING, though: this is (just barely) on the ROUGH neo-noir side of entertainment, and there's a sexually-threatening edge to the the first half. Which would be absolutely the case if a situation played out like this in real life. So don't expect to be totally undisturbed by the experience. Finally, some advice: Keaton's "The Merry Gentleman" IS, in my opinion, an unappreciated masterpiece of the genre, so check it out.

Solid, if unoriginal

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 26 April 2014]

PENTHOUSE NORTH appears to be an unacknowledged remake of the Audrey Hepburn vehicle WAIT UNTIL DARK in which the actress played a blind woman menaced by hoods in her apartment. In this one, it's Michelle Monaghan who finds herself at the mercy of a couple of vicious thugs who are desperate to get their hands on some missing loot.

The two movies have the same premise but the general narrative is fairly different. And it's clear from the beginning that this is no WAIT UNTIL DARK. It is, however, a solid enough little thriller that makes good use of its single-location setting and which keeps the suspense ratcheted up from the outset. Yes, there are the usual implausibilities and plot holes that these kinds of high-concept thrillers usually have, but for the most part it works.

One of the biggest detractions is Monaghan, I have to say. This actress showed a lot of promise when I saw her back in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III, but in this and SOURCE CODE she's been pretty bland. At least there's one seasoned performer in the cast, Michael Keaton playing the chief bad guy, and he seems to be having a ball with this. In any case, it's not a perfect film but it did keep me watching.

4-star is still too much

[pk-forever13 · 4/10 · 4 September 2013]

this is one of the worst film i've ever seen. there's no connection with the blindness of Sara. don't know where did the diamonds come. why those 2 guys really need them back. and still don't know who they are. i can say this movie is really cheap cost. a few of actors with only one scene the only scene i like is just about the cat, and when chad yell to hollander when he throw the cat away from the toproof. the writer should have more inspiration than this. i wonder that the director had watch his movie really? this movie makes me feel i'm a stupid to watch cuz there's nothing. nothing, really. it's not worth to spend your time with. i don't know what make they think they could take money from people while there's anything exchange.

Give me back my diamonds

[adi_2002 · 6/10 · 10 January 2014]

Sara is a journalist who in visit in Irak looses her sight. Now she lead a quiet life in a flat in New York along with her boyfriend Ryan. One day she leaves the apartment for a short walk and when she return it seems like Ryan is not there anymore. Instead there is another man who killed him and now he torments Sara to get back some money that is assumed Ryan stoled from him. Even thought she can't see she manage to escape and reach in the street where she is forced to ask help from anyone who is at that time in the area. A man spots her and he introduces himself as Robert Shay, a local prosecutor. While it seems like they are on the way to the police section the truth is that he is involved in this and is the boss of Chad and escorts Sara back to her penthouse so they can continue and find out where the money are. A good perspective of the things make the finding to be very easy and are willing to let her go but there is something more valuable hidden there and the two are convinced that she knows where they are and will not leave until they get back the gems.

A good thriller if it wasn't like many more others with the two villains turning back on each other and the fact that a blind woman can become a winner in front of two power full and ruthless killer. Fortune with the good acting from Michelle Monaghan who saves a little these flaws but still it's a mediocre movie.

Blind girl fight for life

[sergelamarche · 6/10 · 18 March 2018]

This is similar to Wait until dark to our millenium. I would say that the story is different but the spirit is the same. Rather well done and good effects.