Dream House

Writer/director Jim Sheridan has a checkered filmography that ranges from the lauded biopic My Left Foot to the critically reviled flop Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Sadly, Sheridan's latest effort, the horror-thriller Dream House, is an utter failure, being equal parts stupid and uninspired. Sheridan, who is known for crafting compelling domestic drama, attempts to bring an emotional resonance to the story of a family man (Daniel Craig) whose happy home life is irrevocably rattled when he's told his new house is haunted. Yet under Sheridan's direction, the ordinarily extraordinary cast turns in painfully strained performances across the board. Shockingly, real-life newlyweds Craig and Rachel Weisz share no onscreen chemistry as an enamored married couple, making for a family dynamic that feels forced and flaccid. Worse yet, Weisz's attempt at an American accent is so deliberate and precise in its elocution that it is thoroughly distracting. Regretfully, the sleek and creepy images that dominate the film's marketing are all constrained to one brief dream sequence. Beyond that, Sheridan's willful lack of visual flare does nothing to distract from gaping plot holes that pile up en route to a truly senseless climax. Ultimately, Dream House is a forgettable and lifeless supernatural tale.