Hammer's The Resident finally makes its way stateside and we have a review of the film, as well as the DVD and Blu-ray editions.
The Film
The Resident stars Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and follows Doctor Juliet Devereau (Swank) as she attempts to start a new personal life after a bad breakup with her husband. She’s on the hunt for a place to live and finds a spacious and inexpensive loft owned by Max (Morgan). Although everything seems perfect, Juliet can’t get over the feeling that something is wrong or someone is watching her, and eventually we find out that her suspicions are correct.
Hammer's latest outing is a fairly straight forward thriller. There is nothing horribly wrong with the movie, but at the same time it doesn’t do anything to surprise or make The Resident a memorable movie. It is unfortunate, because Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are both fine actors and their acting is the only thing keeping your interest throughout the movie.
The main problem with the film is that there is never any suspense and you pretty much know exactly what is going to happen in the beginning of the movie. A number of surprises usually saved for the third act of the film are revealed 20 minutes into the film. What is revealed at the end may be surprising to Swank, and she is frightened by the events that unfold, but the audience is pretty much in on it the entire time. In another director’s hands, I can easily see how this film could have really worked, but this is really just a cookie cutter thriller that is only helped by the fact that it has two talented actors pushing the film forward. Christopher Lee has a cameo in this film, but sadly, we see so little of him that anyone could have been in that role. It was still nice for Hammer to include Christopher Lee in one of their new projects, but Let Me In probably would have been more fitting.
I wouldn’t recommend this film to everyone, but this may be of interest to someone who is a fan of Hilary Swank or Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Otherwise, if you’re looking for an average thriller to pass the time, this may be worth checking out.
The Disc
Beyond the obvious quality bump in going with a Blu-ray disc, there is no difference between the DVD and Blu-ray editions. The film looks and sounds good, so as long as you aren’t too picky, you won’t have any problems there. Unfortunately, there are absolutely no extras beyond the trailer and the ability to select sub-titles. I understand that this film was not very well received and that the US is getting a disc-only release, but for someone paying extra for the Blu-ray or fans of the film, it would have been nice to see some commentary or behind the scenes footage.
Final Thoughts
While an average thriller, Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan keep your interest throughout the movie. This film doesn’t do anything to make itself stand out, but if you like these types of thrillers you should be entertained.
As far as the disc goes, if you just care about the movie, you have nothing to worry about. Fans of the movie and those looking for extras will be disappointed as there are no behind the scenes extras included.
Film Score: 1.5/5 Disc Score: 2/5
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
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