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Embarrassingly derivative -- The Shining and Poltergeist all too swiftly spring to mind -- this film manages to sustain a suitably creepy atmosphere thanks in large part to Ellen's (Amanda Plummer) bedraggled, hallucinating damsel in distress and Martin's (Sean Pertwee) sweaty impersonation of a psychotic Russell Crowe (how else to explain that treble-heavy, gravelly voice?). Otherwise, you might find yourself glancing at the calendar to see how many days have gone by as the suspense builds at a painfully slow rate. The final 15 minutes consist of an uncomfortably violent sequence of spouse abuse by Martin, who makes Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrence (also a flailing novelist, hmmm) seem like Mister Nice Guy (why would a bright woman like Ellen stick around after that?). The obligatory computer effects at the bizarre finale are as unnecessary as they are unconvincing. In short, 7 Days to Live is about three days too long.