Tiger House

Tiger House casts Kaya Scodelario as Kelly, a young woman who breaks into her boyfriend’s room one fateful evening and must subsequently fend for her life after the house is invaded by armed thugs. It’s a stellar, seemingly foolproof premise that’s employed to increasingly underwhelming effect by director Thomas Daley and writer Simon Lewis, as the movie suffers from a hopelessly tedious midsection that’s centered more around the exploits of one-dimensional characters than cultivating (and sustaining) an atmosphere of tension. This is despite a relatively promising first act that effectively sets up the protagonist and the deadly scenario, with the auspicious vibe perpetuated by an inclusion of gleefully less-than-subtle elements. (We learn, for example, that Kelly is an expert gymnast and that her boyfriend owns a crossbow.) And while the perpetrators’ initial assault on the house is quite well done, Tiger House moves into a plodding midsection that’s rife with dull spots and slow patches – as much of the narrative revolves around the criminals’ yawn-inducing scheming and Kelly’s efforts to escape from her confines underneath a bed. The film admittedly improves slightly once Kelly manages to start moving around the house, and yet even this stretch is lacking in the kind of visceral excitement that one might’ve anticipated and expected (ie the whole thing just feels oddly lifeless). The anticlimactic (and somewhat absurd) finale only confirms Tiger House‘s total failure, which is too bad, really, given the potential afforded by both the top-notch setup and Scodelario’s personable turn as the plucky protagonist.

*1/2 out of ****