AllMovie

This servicable thriller makes the most of protagonist Maura Tierney's haunted eyes and perpetually harassed countenance, villain Adrien Brody's believable psychopath antics, victim Laila Robins' scream-queen vulnerability, and producer/screenwriter/director Richard Shepard's moody little script. The film's low budget proves both a blessing and a curse. It puts maximum focus on the characters, dialogue, and no-frills noir atmosphere, but it leaves the film without the kind of production values that might have elevated it from cable-TV fare. Terry Kinney doesn't have much to do as the put-upon husband of Tierney's tortured, kinky cop character, especially in the forced epilogue the two must play together. But there's plenty of chemistry between the other principals and lots of real twists in Shepard's sturdy plotting. Fans of her TV roles on NewsRadio and ER may not get what they're expecting from Tierney (here re-teaming with the director who provided her first big break), but surprise is the name of the game in this modest winner.