Cellar Door

I had not heard about this 2024 thriller titled "Cellar Door" prior to sitting down to watch it, so I didn't know what I was in for. But that is how it is with the vast majority of the movies I watch, as I don't watch trailers, nor keep up with upcoming movies. If I stumble upon a movie that I haven't already seen, such as the case with "Cellar Door", I sit down to watch it.

Writers Sam Scott and Lori Evans Taylor put together a rather generic and stereotypical script and storyline here. Sure, it was a watchable enough movie, but there wasn't much of any great thrills to be had throughout the course of the movie. And that sort of made sitting through "Cellar Door" a somewhat bland and mundane viewing experience.

Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with Scott Speedman and Laurence Fishburne. It should be noted, though, that the acting performances in the movie were good.

I suppose that if you are a diehard thriller fan, then you might be getting a bigger kick out of watching "Cellar Door" than I did. Something I was finding to be missing from the movie was that I was never pushed to the edge of my seat out of sheer thrill and excitement. It was a rather mundane movie, to be honest.

This is not a movie that will find its way back to my screen a second time.

My rating of director Vaughn Stein's 2024 thriller "Cellar Door" lands on a four out of ten stars.

I enjoyed this film; well acted and not a horror, more a mystery who dunnit. It is a relatively slow burn, but I was intrigued by the characters and invested in them. The characters, though few in number, were all fleshed out with their own unique quirks and motivations, adding depth and complexity to the story. A score of 7 may be a little high, but so many reviewers giving this a 3 or 4, in my opinion, is rather mean. It contains some blood and a little violence, which is nothing you won't have seen on a BBC production; it is well crafted and unexpected. I don't think anyone who is a Who Dunnit fan or enjoys a good mystery will believe their time was wasted by watching this. Look elsewhere if you are after blood, gore, and supernatural happenings.

In the beginning I thought that the premise was something psychological or allegoric and the pitch was something in the lines of, Adam and Eve meet Alex Forrest, for those of you that don't know who she is, it is the character of Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, by the end I realized that I was wrong, that there wasn't a metaphor and that the twists and turns were so forced that what could have been great idea didn't go anywhere.

Personally I hate open endings and I find them disrespectful to the audience and frustrating.

Two hours is too much time to invest in a movie without a conclusion or a clear ending.

Cellar Door starts with an intriguing premise, hinting at a mysterious horror story full of suspense and deep-rooted tension. However, it soon becomes clear that the film's potential remains untapped. What begins as an atmospheric buildup, luring the audience with the promise of dark secrets and spine-chilling moments, gradually devolves into an uninspired, drama-filled soap opera with no real stakes or satisfying resolution.

The movie's singular rule-"Just don't open the cellar door"-is paradoxically both the center of attention and a total misdirection. One would expect that such a warning would be pivotal to the story, propelling the plot with intense anticipation. Instead, it plays no significant role at all, leaving viewers scratching their heads. How does a film build its entire narrative on a concept that never materializes into anything meaningful? The result is a frustratingly aimless experience with no payoff, no tension, and an underwhelming narrative arc.

In the end, Cellar Door fails to deliver on every front, leaving audiences with more questions than thrills and a lingering sense of wasted time.

Following a loss young couple Sera and John decide to move out of the city. They find a town they like but every house they like is well out of their price range. They are just about to give up when they are shown another house. It is large, beautiful and over a hundred years old; the owner invites them to spend the night. When they wake up he has departed leaving a letter stating that they can have the house for nothing... the only condition is that they must never open the cellar door. If they do they lose the house. They agree to the terms and make themselves at home but it isn't long before the subject of what is behind the cellar door is raised, and just how would anybody know if they looked. Tensions rise further when a woman John had an affair with starts harassment proceedings against him at work.

This film turned out to be very different from what I expected. Instead of a horror it is a psychological thriller. Tensions rise nicely as John tries to keep his secrets from Sera and she is firm that they must not break the rule concerning the cellar door... just what can be down there that could demand it remains locked? Jordana Brewster and Scott Speedman are solid as Sera and John and Laurence Fishburne stands out as Emmett, the man giving them the house. The setting; both the house and surroundings give the film a good atmosphere. I can understand why many viewers are disappointed that one obvious question isn't answered but I quite liked that; it leaves the viewers free to have their own ideas. Overall I'd not call this a must see but if the like psychological thrillers it is worth a watch.