Cellar Door delivers a compelling mystery thriller with a solid core cast that keeps the narrative moving forward. Scott Speedman, best known for his roles in the Underworld series of movies, Fast & Furious‘ Jordana Brewster, and Laurence Fishburne round out the core cast. Cellar Door is a smaller independent production by Lionsgate and, despite not standing out and lacking in certain creative avenues, its quality and technical achievements are solid overall.
Cellar Door follows a married couple — John (Speedman) and Sera (Brewster) — who are desperately trying to start a family. When they tragically miscarry, they decide to move elsewhere for a new start. While their search for a house initially appears fruitless, the couple eventually meets a mysterious and eccentric older gentleman, Emmett (Fishburne), who makes them an offer they can’t refuse. They can have his enormous mansion for free on one condition: they never open the cellar door. However, the tension and mystery of this simple request leads to much bigger consequences.
Cellar Door Does Most Things Right, But It Feels Basic
Cellar Door manages to deliver quality performances from a great leading cast. The film also has tension throughout, with concurrent yet complementary narratives. It even has a central mystery that keeps the hidden truths just out of reach. However, despite these things being executed correctly, it feels like a thriller film that was done with a paint-by-numbers template. Its technically good, but there is also a plainness about the whole thing that doesn’t go unnoticed.
The story doesn’t offer anything new or innovative, which makes it seem dull in comparison to some of the more creative offerings in the genre.
The couple suffers tragedy and their marriage is tense because of it; external factors make everything more potent, and Cellar Door builds from there. At the same time, its all a bit predictable. For fans of the thriller genre, in particular, Cellar Door will feel unoriginal. The story doesn’t offer anything new or innovative, which makes it seem dull in comparison to some of the more creative offerings in the genre.
It’s a real shame that the filmmaker didn’t have more confidence and bravado to really create more intense emotional moments. If the beats of the story were dialed up to 11, it’s possible Cellar Door could have stood out. Instead, the reveals feel hollow and empty. The twists don’t hit with any real impact and the ending feels unsatisfying. All that said, it’s not a bad movie by any means, it just had the potential to be more, and that’s where the disappointment settles in.
As An Introduction To Thrillers, Cellar Door Is A Solid Start
For fans of drama or mystery movies who have not embraced thrillers, Cellar Door provides a solid foundation for newcomers to the genre. Due to the film’s technical strengths, and the fact that it does adhere to many of the conventional elements found in a thriller, it will likely excite and delight those who may not watch a lot of thrillers. The performances are solid (the fact that several recognizable actors are present is a treat) and Michael Merriman’s cinematography is beautiful.
For fans of drama or mystery movies who have not embraced thrillers, Cellar Door could provide a solid foundation for newcomers to the genre.
There are eerie slow camera movements across empty rooms, mysterious noises coming from inside the house, and thrilling chase sequences that lead to dead ends. All of these elements make for a decent thriller and subvert audience expectations while providing an interesting twist. But if this is not your first foray into the world of thrillers, Cellar Door is unlikely to move the needle in terms of opinions on the genre.
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And yet, with a tight runtime, Cellar Door is a good film that hits the spot when looking for a tense story. It could have been improved with a little more polish, but it doesn’t deter us from being entertained. Cellar Door may not provide intense emotional payoffs, or twists that come as a complete surprise, but the actors deliver great performances, and it’s intriguing to watch as the central couple’s lives unravel.
Cellar Door is now playing in select theaters and is available on digital. The film is 97 minutes long and rated R for sexual content, language and some violence.