La casa al final de la curva

It's probably a bit of a stretch to even rate this at 5 stars, just as it's a stretch to label this a thriller. More a drama about a man who seems to become obsessed with life, death and playing God, it's extremely well acted by Ben Foster and Cobie Smulders but good luck finding a character to feel sympathy for when both leads are written as fairly unlikeable. While I had some sympathy for Ben's character at the beginning eventually it eroded. Cobie, as his wife, is written as being a bit too hard and harsh to feel any empathy for. So you end up sitting and watching a movie in which you just kind of dislike the people on screen. I found the ending disappointing and am not sure what the writers were trying to say. It's definitely an interesting watch but nothing to watch a second time. Ben Foster is such a great actor, it's a shame no one seems to be writing great films anymore.

On another platform I was looking for a comedy/thriller and that's what this movie was categorized as. Well it's not a comedy so I was disappointed. But on here it was categorized as a thriller, which again turned out to be wrong, so disappointment again. It's just a drama, and not even a good one. It's just too long before anything interesting happens and then it's just the end, which was too abrupt and again disappointing. The acting was okay so no real complaints about that but with decent actors alone you can't guarantee the movie will be good. For that you need an interesting story and this one was just not one of those.

This movie demands your patience and attention span. But the story is most effective in this way.

First off, the acting is excellent, and Ben Foster is captivating. I sensed what may happen, but his character adapted and changed his MO a few times.

This is about an unsung hero, who goes through crisis after crisis, but insists on solving the problem himself. Cobie Smuldrrs is excellent as well, and works well in her hyper-organized, perfectionist character.

The tension builds as Foster's character realizes his true calling. Consumed with a new occupation, battling mortal danger, he seeks to fight it head on.

This film is excellent with a plaintive soundtrack, well-rounded characters; and a narrative which belies exposition and resorts to thoughtful yet misguided strategies.

This is a very worthwhile film, but it requires your attention and curiosity.

This was waaayyyy too long. It would've been better as a short film, not the 110 min runtime that felt like four hours. It just dragged on and on with the same exact premise and predictable outcomes. When you're a salesman but was born a first responder. Ya, we get it.

And as a fan of Ben Foster, not sure why all the critics are praising his performance (or the film for that matter)... it was flaccid and any actor - even inexperienced, could've pulled off his character and stale demeanor.

It's a generous 5/10, mostly all going to the smoking hot Cobie Smulders for her excellent and convincing performance.

If you're looking for horror, explosions, death, car chases or other violence this isn't for you. This is a movie that requires your full attention and apsorption. If you're patient enough, and can stand long moments without sounds or flashing lights, you'll be rewarded with Ben Foster at his absolute finest. And choosing to bounce his crazed character off of the sorely-underappreciated Cobie Smulders' in the role of his baffled and frustrated wife was genius casting. She takes a script that could've been cookie-cluttered and, through lots of "face acting" (saying a lot but without words - which I love to watch good actors do) she turns it into my favorite character in the movie.

The rest of the supporting cast are impressive and believable but names I've never heard of. Probably all Canadians, given the filming location. Speaking of the location, IMDb doesn't have it listed quite right. The actual, almost 90° corner is where River Road and Terence Bay Trail intersect north of the IMDb-listed address. The house used in the movie was specifically built for the film on the southeast corner. It's even currently viewable on Google Maps. Regardless, the location and the way it was captured by the cinematographer perfectly captures the haunting spiral of Ben's character. The direction is moody and clever in its use of its angles, lighting, and framing.

Fair warning: the movie is slow. But it's supposed to be. Viewers expecting (needing?) constant attention and action will be disappointed. This is for lovers of psychological thrillers but without the usual bloodfest type of "thrills". This is a step-by-step trip into the declining brain of a delusional man. We're never really told how this psychosis might've manifested itself in the character (and I suppose it's not really necessary that we do know), but Ben Foster completely absorbs the role. It's been a long time since I've watched an actor take a character and flesh it out this much. Some of his scenes should be shown in college acting classes. 7 from me, but without Ben it might've been a 5 or 6.