“It was a dark and stormy night. …” If this latest fare from the USA net’s original docket were a novel, it would likely start that way. Such is the style in this early work of scribe Ehren Kruger when it comes to the tongue-in-cheek predictability of this attempt at a suspense-thriller. Expositional dialogue and explicatory camera use lead us into the weak heart of the plot as a young, urban, black couple, the Sawyers, and their pre-teen son unexpectedly inherit a mansion from the dad’s estranged father. From that point the chain of events is painfully derivative as the innocents turn out to be either the most lucky or unlucky family on earth.
Through a series of coincidences, and some plot contrivances, a quartet of bank robbers, with a stash of $10 million, make their way to the Sawyers’ new digs, and a battle of wits, woes and psycho-dramatic subplots ensue. But the action is dry and labored and not enough effort is given to establishing the ambiance of this strange, new environment to pepper the story with possibilities.
Popular on Variety
Credit goes to the scripter for an occasional clever surprise during the cat-and-mouse interplay, but it’s never quite enough to support the suspense.
The role of Rodney Sawyer, painfully underplayed by hyphenate Mario Van Peebles, is well matched with that of his wife, Jennie (Holly Robinson Peete): They are never quite convincing in their concern for their own lives, much less the life of their son, Malik (Michael J. Pagen). Although Pagen has very few lines, he manages to come across as the most appealing of the three.
It is hard to care deeply about this family, even though they are painted as hard-working people, with cheery dispositions. The characters are never fully fleshed out, and thus it’s hard to believe that anything terrible can really happen to these people — even as the proverbial fierce thunderstorm sets in.
Bad guys/bank robbers are led by Kendall Dupree (Lori Triolo) whose wicked-to-the-bone portrayal of a woman who wants it all offers an occasional shocking crassness that gives some edge to the proceedings. Boyfriend Breckett (Andrew Divoff) carries his commitment a bit over the top, and cliche pro-robber buddies Sykes (Vincent Gale) and Henley (Dean McKenzie) work the banality of the plot twists well enough, but play down their ruthlessness to a non-threatening place, where minor comic elements are misplaced and cut the tension at the worst possible moments.
Hal Linden plays kindly attorney Arthur Pendleton, with his usual subtle and endearing charm; so much so that his fate is sealed in this predictable tale of terror.
Tech credits are unremarkable.
