Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageWhat Lies Beneath (2000)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Norman Spencer (Ford, slothful) and his wife Claire (Pfeiffer) are so happily in love in their lakeside mansion that you know something dreadful's going to occur. It's just a case of when. But Zemeckis keeps the ambiguities coming. While Norman is content to pursue his career as a research scientist, Claire still suffers the psychological after effects of a car accident and prefers to stay at home with her thoughts. Then the strangeness begins: she starts hearing noises. Echoing Rear Window, she even begins to suspect her new neighbour has killed his wife. Worse, turning off the bath, she briefly catches the horrifying reflection of a young woman. Either she's off her rocker or the woman's trying to tell her something. But what, and why? Who is she anyway? Claire stumbles into her own investigation and proceeds to put her foot right in it. At which point - after a slow build that at times makes every hair stand on end - Zemeckis rolls out every thriller cliché there is. A pity, because until then it's a smart, realistically staged, adult-oriented and extraordinarily effective domestic chiller.Author: DA
Cast & crew
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke
Cast: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Scarwid, Victoria Bidewell, Joe Morton, James Remar, Miranda Otto, Amber Valletta, Katharine Towne, Wendy Crewson full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 130 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
What do you think?
Post your review now