The 4th Floor

Effective and original little thriller set on the island of Manhattan about a young woman terrorized in her rent-controlled apartment by unknown forces that want her out.

Juliette Lewis, Jane Ehelin, is at her feisty best as the victim of this horror drama who won't let herself be driven out of her apartment as the terror below her that at first is just annoying begins to turn deadly. The movie "The 4th Floor" has a lot of false leads as to who the person or persons are that are terrorizing the hell out of Jane. If your very attentive you'll notice something almost at the beginning of the movie, that is repeated in the films final sequence, why all of this is happening to her.

After her Aunt Cecile was killed from a fall down the stairs of her building it was found out in Aunt Cecile's lease that she put Jaen on it as co-occupant to her apartment. Jane was all set to move in with her boyfriend Greg Harrison, William Hurt, a local TV weatherman in the house that he just bought in the New York city suburb of Westchester County. Jaen instead canceled her plans in order to move into that empty and very affordable apartment in the city. As soon as Jaen moved in things began to happen all originating from the 4th floor, the apartment just underneath her.

The director and writer of the movie "The 4th Floor" leave a lot of red herrings as well as yellow and orange maggots and white and gray mice to what is behind all this and you almost suspect everyone in the movie that Jaen comes in contact with. The ending is quite a surprise because even when it comes it still may keep you hanging as to what was the reason for tormenting Jaen and driving her almost mad and out of her brownstone apartment. The very last scene in the movie really explains it all.

Besides Juliette Lewis William Hurt is very good in an unusually small but important role so are Shelley Duvall, Martha Stewart, no not the Martha Stewart in the news. There's also Austin Pendleton, Mr. Collins, as Jaen's neighbors and a very good performance by Tobin Bell the locksmith and next-door neighbor of Jean who knew a lot more to what was happening in Jane's building then what he let her on to.

Tension-pack and really creepy movie that will make your skin crawl as Jaen is slowly constricted by the four walls around her as the terror, that's a lot closer to her then she thinks, closes in on her for the movies surprising as well as really weird and shocking conclusion."The 4th Floor" is a lot better then you would, or I did, expect from many of the negative reviews that it got and is well worth seeing.

What is happening on the 4th floor, halfway in this movie you will not even care. What do we have here, a young girl is going to live in the appartement her late aunt lived in, when she arrives the blood from the fall that killed her aunt is not even removed yet and everybody in the appartement has the looks of an axe murderer; and is trying to act as creepy as possible, welcome home dear. If you can swallow this there is also William Hurt who is acting like he fell asleep at the beginning of this movie and never woke up, and who can blame him. This is the kind of movie that builds up to the grand finale, and everybody who watches it is trying to bite through the cheap plot twists (maggots anyone, and what the hell are they doing in the curtains, flying maggots??) and is trying to stay awake for that great finale, but here is a surprise, there is no climax, at least not one that I could figure out. The only thing that saves this movie (a little !!)is one of the very last scenes, but hell, all the viewers are sleeping by then or are teaching maggots to fly.

Enjoyed viewing this film and could not imagine just why Juliette Lewis,(Jane Emelin),"Daltry Calhoun",'05 put up with all the horrible creeps in her apartment dwelling. The landlord, Superintendent, and practically the entire building was a loony bin of all kinds of characters. William Hurt, (Greg Harrison),"Syriana",'05, lived with Jane Emelin and did not like the idea of her going off and getting this apartment; he even told her how much he loved her. As the film progresses, all kinds of strange and mysterious things seem to happen in the apartment and an old lady living on the floor below Jane really started to raise all kinds of hell for her day and night. All the actors gave a great performance and you will probably figure the ending out, but it was not the greatest of William Hurt films.

portray central characters in this film. Hurt in particular plays a pretentious weatherman, with a bow-tie, and is very amusing. Lewis plays a niece who inherits a rent-controlled apartment in the big city (NY, of course) and along the lines of "Rosemary's Baby", starts to realize there is something strange happening in the building.

Some of the tenants are: Shelley Duvall, Austin Pendleton, and the locksmith Tobin Bell (always excellent, and creepy). There are some scenes reminiscent of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" as Ms. Lewis is observing the goings-on in her neighborhood- be careful of what you may find out! The movie culminates in terror, and if you have ever lived alone in a city with strange neighbors, you will enjoy this movie. Watch it on a rainy night- better than the original "When a Stranger Calls". 9/10

I liked this film a lot. Juliette Lewis and Austin Pendleton did a very good job in this movie. Also William Hurt acted O.K.. Some movies in this genre are predictable, but this one wasn't.

The 4th Floor is Josh Klausner's first movie. I must say he did a very good job. The movie is certainly not a masterpiece, but it is very exciting! Pay attention to the last scene of the movie. Some of the music is very good!

I recommend this movie to everyone!

I learned a new word in this movie: I'm only going to give the first and last letter, because I don't want to spoil. The word is "P..S". People who saw the movie, will know which word it is.