Available now on streaming services is the thriller/horror film, Trespassers, from IFC Midnight.
Trespassers stars Angela Trimbur, Janel Parrish, Zach Avery, Johnathan Howard and Fairuza Balk.
The film starts off with a young couple being brutally murdered by masked individuals. There is a connection to that scene to the rest of the film, but viewers don’t know that until later on.
Sarah and Joseph rent an Airbnb (I assume it is) for the weekend to getaway. The home is in the middle of no where, in the desert near the Mexican border.
When they arrive there is no one in the home. The bed isn’t even made. There are even photos lying around in the room where one of the homeowners develops their photos.
Joseph is not overly keen on the idea that Sarah also invited her best friend, Estelle, and her boyfriend, Victor, to spend the weekend with them. He was hoping it was just the two of them so they could work on their relationship which has been a bit strained lately.
Estelle and Victor seem to be a bit opposite of Sarah and Joseph. They are there to party and have a good time, which includes sexy dancing, sex, booze and drugs.
When the door bell rings, the couples are faced with a neighbor (Balk) who claims that her car broke down and that she needs to borrow their phone because she’s needs to let someone know she’s going to be late to get her son. Begrudgingly they let her inside.
Even after making a call, the mysterious woman doesn’t seem to want to leave.
Did the couples make a huge mistake letting the stranger inside? Does she have an ulterior motive for being there? And what is the connection to them and the young couple that was murdered in the beginning of the movie? To find out you need to rent or purchase Trespassers. You can find it on Hulu, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube, as well as other streaming platforms.
This is one of those films where you can pretty much guess what is going to happen by the end of the movie. It’s not that hard to guess. There is a murder, people who are partying a bit too much (booze, drugs), and a stranger that comes knocking on their door late at night. If you add all these things up it’s not hard to guess what will eventually happen in the film.
As for the scary factor, I personally didn’t find the film scary. I know the film is considered a part of the horror genre, but I would put in more in the thriller category. But that is just me.
I’m NOT a prude. Not at all, but I don’t see why horror movies have to toss in sex, drugs and booze. You can make a great horror movie without those things. This film still would have worked without those elements factored in.
Balk is a great addition to this film. If anything about this film is scary it’s Balk’s character. She is creepy! There is no way I’d want to let that woman into my home, not matter what kind of a sob story she gave me. I would call 911 or a local tow truck company to come and help her out. I wouldn’t let her step foot in my home (or rental home).
I should say that the masks used by the intruders are scary.
There is a lot of violence in this film. It’s a film about a home invasion, and let’s just say the intruders are not there to show kindness or pity on their victims. They are sick bastards who love nothing more than torturing their victims.
The movie is a bit cliche. It kind of follows suit with other home invasion-like movies. It’s not too difficult to figure what is going to happen.
From about the second half of the film until towards the end, the film relies on lighting to add to it. You’ll notice that a lot of scenes are either colored with blue or red lights.
The film was OK enough to keep my attention to the very end, but it’s not the kind of movie that I would watch again.
Let this be a lesson. If you are going to rent a home, don’t rent one in the middle of nowhere. And if there is a knock at your door in the middle of the night, think twice before you open the door, and think even harder if you are asked to let a stranger inside.
Below is the film’s trailer for your entertainment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener copy to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.