Occupant (2011)

Occupant: Directed by Henry Miller. With Van Hansis, Cody Horn, Thorsten Kaye, Jamie Harrold. Danny Hill’s grandmother just died giving him the opportunity to live in her rent controlled apartment in Manhattan. But as Danny quickly discovers, he may not be the only occupant.

“u0026quot;Occupantu0026quot; isnu0026#39;t the smartest effort of recent memory, nor is it the scariest, but itu0026#39;s certainly unique enough to be worth mentioning. The plot here isnu0026#39;t especially innovative, borrowing heavily from movies like u0026quot;1408u0026quot; and Stanley Kubricku0026#39;s u0026quot;The Shining,u0026quot; but much like said inspiration, the execution is what differentiates this film from the slew of other cheap imitations. The movie is actually pretty sleek- looking for a lower-budget offering, and it makes effective use of its small, fairly-unknown cast, especially leading man Van Hansis, whose portrayal of a man grappling with his sanity is so convincing its unsettling. The atmosphere is dark, disturbing, and suspenseful, akin to an under-your-skin David Lynch head trip; itu0026#39;s that special blend of intentionally-ambiguous psychological thriller and supernatural horror that makes this a very carrot-on-a-stick experience, never allowing the viewer to turn away once the action begins its slow-burning buildup.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor the rest of my review, please check out my movie review blog: http://filmsallthetime.blogspot.com”