Today’s quick review: Intrusion. After a bout with cancer, Meera Parsons (Freida Pinto) and her husband Henry (Logan Marshall-Green) move to a remote Southwestern town for a fresh start. Their newfound tranquility is shattered when a trio of locals breaks into their house at night. But the real damage is done when, in the aftermath of the incident, Meera learns that her husband has been keeping dangerous secrets from her.
Intrusion is a crime thriller about a couple dealing with the fallout of a home invasion. Beginning with an argument over Henry’s actions the night of the incident, Meera grows more and more suspicious of her husband, eroding the trust built over 12 years of marriage. Intrusion spins this premise into a tidy mystery with a fair amount of tension. However, a slow start and a restricted plot keep the movie from making a major impact.
Intrusion benefits from an intriguing story and solid direction. The clues that Meera follows are ambiguous enough to leave doubt but worrying enough to drive a wedge between her and her husband. The movie does a good job of capturing this tension, using camerawork and music cues to reflect Meera’s suspicions and inject anxiety into a mundane setting. Still, there are no major scares, and the movie pulls a few punches to keep from getting bleak.
Intrusion shows some weakness around the edges. The early stages of the plot do not lead into the rest of the story very smoothly, yielding an awkward introductory period where the audience is not sure what to focus on. The scope of the plot is restricted, which limits the number of other characters the movie can bring in and the number of twists it can support. Finally, Freida Pinto and Logan Marshall-Green lack chemistry as a couple.
Intrusion is a fair pick when you are in the mood for a slow-burn mystery in a domestic setting. The movie scores some modest hits with its mystery, its acting, and its presentation. However, it gets off to a weak start and ends up hampered by its narrow premise. Intrusion lacks the complexity of the best mysteries and the shock value of the best thrillers. Give it a shot if you are in the right mood, but do not expect it to break the mold.
For a thriller that tackles similar ideas with more skill, try Gone Girl. For a more dedicated thriller about a home invasion, try Hush. For one that is more action-oriented, try Death Wish. For a crime thriller about a marriage gone horribly wrong, try Till Death or Double Jeopardy.
[5.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5563324/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent craftsmanship and a limited plot.