Affable family man Dennis Mahoney (an excellent and engaging performance by Colin Ferguson) switches bodies with vicious and cunning serial killer Richard Brautigan (a fine and credible portrayal by Clifton Collins Jr.) after having a near-death experience. Mahoney must find a way while locked behind bars to stop Brautigan from bumping off his family next. Director Ronny Yu, working from an ingenious and involving script by Daniel Knauf, relates the gripping story at a snappy pace, does an ace job of creating and sustaining a tense, creepy, and unnerving atmosphere, ably milks plenty of nerve-wracking suspense from the crafty premise (an uncomfortable dinner table set piece in particular is truly unsettling), and delivers a shockingly brutal and violent climax that's topped off with a devastatingly downbeat surprise ending. The stellar acting from the bang-up cast keeps everything humming: Collins and Ferguson play exceptionally well off each other, with tip-top support from Josie Davis as Mahoney's sweet wife Kathy, Stephen Lobo as no-nonsense defense attorney John Amir, Nicole Leduc as cute daughter Courtney, and Gig Morton as wide-eyed son Sean. John Spooner's sharp cinematography provides an impressively polished look. Jeff Roona's spooky score does the skin-crawling trick. One of this show's strongest hours.
Review of Family Man
