Shut In 2016

     Mary is a widow, she lives and works in isolated rural Maine.  She works as a child psychologist and she has an 18 year-old stepson.  Steven is paralyzed from the neck down and he doesn't speak due to a car accident that killed her husband.  Steven was going to be sent away to a boarding school because of his out-of-control behavior.  He didn't want to go, he wanted to stay with his stepmother instead.  It's six months later and Mary is also working with a young deaf boy Tom and he goes missing.  Everyone thinks the boy is dead because there is heavy snow, freezing temperatures and another severe storm is coming.  Tom came to Mary's house but he ran away.  She hopes the boy is rescued before he disappears forever.  Mary begins to hear sounds in the night and she has trouble sleeping.

     This movie isn’t really scary; it’s the music trying to make you think it’s scary!!  Mary doesn’t know if she’s really seeing things in the night or she is just dreaming them?  Maybe she’s dreaming about the noises too?  Her therapist wants to put her on medication to help with her sleeping problems.  Mary probably has depression because of what happened to her husband, her son and now Tom.  Watts does a lot of breathing and gasping in her role, it’s a wonder she didn’t hyperventilate?  Of course, she really didn't but I don't know how she would be able to swallow baby soap or shampoo?  2 1/2* (This movie so-so)

92 min, Drama directed by Farren Blackburn with Naomi Watts, Oliver Platt, Charlie Heaton, Jacob Temblay, Clementine Poidatz, Alex Braunstein, David Cubitt, Crystal Balint, Ellen David, Tim Post, Peter Outerbridge.

Note:  Imdb 4.6 out of 10, 6% critic 21% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 1/2*, Amazon 3.4* out of 5* with 57 reviews.

Special Note:  A French-Canadian production filmed in Sutton, Quebec, Canada.  The ending was revised and filmed a second time.  Featured in the 2013 Blacklist a one of the most liked unmade scripts of the year.  The actor in the role of the Tom was also in the film Room.  This film was expected to gross about $6 million in the opening weekend but grossed $3.7 million and finished seventh at the box office.  Watts was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for Shut In and The Divergent Series: Allegiant.