Shut In

Directed by Farren Blackburn, Shut In follows Naomi Watts’ Mary as her efforts at caring for her comatose son (Charlie Heaton’s Stephen) are threatened by the arrival of a young boy (Jacob Tremblay’s Tom). Filmmaker Blackburn, working from Christina Hodson’s screenplay, delivers an exceedingly deliberate and predominantly uninvolving endeavor that fares especially poorly within its meandering first half, as Blackburn’s refusal (or inability) to infuse the proceedings with a hint of atmosphere or dread paves the way for an opening stretch that contains virtually nothing of interest – with the arms-length vibe compounded by Yves Bélanger’s styleless visuals and a grating, chintzy score by Nathaniel Méchaly. And although the outlandish twist that arrives at around the halfway mark is admittedly quite impressive in its audacity, even if it has been cribbed directly from Dumb and Dumber To, Shut In‘s pervasively underwhelming feel ensures that one’s efforts at working up the slightest bit of enthusiasm for the characters’ third-act exploits fall completely and hopelessly flat – which ultimately cements the picture’s place as a truly worthless waste of time that could (and should) have been so much better. (And what’s with Tremblay’s figure being referred to as deaf when he’s clearly hearing impaired?)

* out of ****