THE INTRUDER

US, 2019, 103 minutes, Colour.

Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Dennis Quaid, Joseph Sikora.

Directed by Deon Taylor.

The intruder is something of a remake of a Dennis Quaid film, Cold Creek Manor, in which he played the husband.

This is a popular entertainment, familiar ingredients, the couple, the intruder, the threats, the violent reaction. Michael Ealy and Meagan Good play an affluent couple, he is successful businessman, buying an attractive property and house from a former engineer played by Dennis Quaid.

The film has an affluent background, a luxury house and grounds, lifestyle. While the central couple are played by African-American actors, the characters have no racial issues and white and black could be interchangeable. To that extent it is a straightforward American drama.

Dennis Quaid seems to be enjoying himself as the villain, his wide mouth and sinister smile, something like a Jack Nicholson-Joker sinister smile and laugh. He is threatening while friendly, then lascivious, then sexually violent.

Given the basic premiss on characters and situation, there is nothing particularly new – the tension is in how it all works out.

1. Tone of the title? Expectations? Drama and tension?
2. San Francisco settings, offices, Napa Valley, countryside, homes, town and restaurants? Musical score?
3. Familiar material? Dramatic perspective? No racial issues, black-and-white interchangeable characters?
4. Scott, Annie, happily married, Mike and the surprise party, Scott successful in business? The plan to buy a house, raise a family? Going to visit, Charlie and shooting the deer, Mike and his reaction to guns and the death of his brother, Charlie reassuring the couple? The tour of the house, lavish? Charlie and his explanations, retiring, to Florida?
5. Scott and Annie, the relationship, her touches of jealousy, his talking to the girl at the diner, the aftermath? His later texting, not phoning? His response?
6. The price, Scott unwilling, Charlie and extra deals, moving in? Settling, furnishing, designing? Possibilities for happiness? Annie and her loving the house? Scott and his work?
7. Charlie, his return, mowing the lawn, his comments about the lawn, lurking, spying, the security system and his criticisms of the workmen and the house? His continually returning, and eye for Annie, flirting behaviour? Scott and his antagonism? The dinner with Mike, Mike and his smoking, the hole in the car seat? Charlie and his attitude towards smoking?
8. The continued exasperation, to warn Charlie off? Scott trying to find out more about Charlie, the death of his wife, allegedly from cancer, shooting herself? Scott and his contact with the daughter, her changing her name, disdain for her father? The further information about Charlie, his work, fraud, liar, in debt? And his passion for the house?
9. The date and the meal, Scott drinking, going to the hotel, Charlie eating the meal, blunt talking?
10. Scott, jogging, knocked off the road, hospital?
11. Charlie, visiting the house, helping with the Christmas decorations? Bringing the wine? Bringing the pizza?
12. Mike, Scott asking him to go to the house, his looking inside, Charlie pursuing him, killing him?
13. Charlie and his return, advances on Annie, her fears and ousting him? Her discovery of the basement, his living there all the time? His return, confronting Annie, tying her up? Scott to return? The fight? The couple hiding, and her stabbing him, his return, the rifle, the phone to the police? Shooting him?
14. All the ingredients for a popular tension drama entertainment?