The Glass House | Rotten Tomatoes

The Glass House

PG-13

Released Sep 14, 2001

1h 46m

Mystery & Thriller

List

22%

87 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After the parents of Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and her younger brother, Rhett (Trevor Morgan), are killed in a car crash, their parents' best friends, Erin and Terry Glass (Diane Lane, Stellan Skarsgard), become their guardians. The children hear promises of a world of opulence and California fun -- all they have to do is move into the Glasses' gated house. Before very long, though, Ruby suspects that Erin and Terry may not be the ideal guardians they seemed to be.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Feb 20

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Rent The Glass House on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Critics Consensus

Due to obvious plot twists and foreshadowing, The Glass House fails to thrill. By the end, it degenerates into ludicrousness.

Read Critics Reviews

Empire Magazine

Rated: 1/5

Dec 30, 2006

Full Review

Jane Crowther

BBC.com

Despite a great cast and glossy direction, it's as empty, transparent, and characterless as the titular abode.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 21, 2002

Full Review

Susan Stark

Detroit News

Rated: 2/4

Oct 30, 2001

Full Review

Paul Lê

Bloody Disgusting

Much of its story is as transparent as the titular location. However, fans of The Glass House can agree this inflated teen-mystery has a confounding lived-in quality that keeps them coming back for more.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 20, 2023

Full Review

Joe Leydon

The Moving Picture Show

The Glasses live in a glass house - get it? Hey, I warned you: Subtle, this movie ain't.

Sep 12, 2021

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

There are only a couple of intriguing moments before this long-winded film reaches its inevitable, dull conclusion.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 16, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Bruno V

Filme bem excêntrico na época em que foi lançado. Só que a trama fica muito forçada durante o filme, tipo que poderia ser mais natural.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Remember when Leelee Sobieski read that 9/11 poem on The Tonight Show? Well, this movie has also been claimed as a victim of that attack, as its box office wasn't what was expected, so everyone instantly used that date as a scapegoat — not just Mariah Carey, who for years has used it to defend the bombing of Glitter. Ruby Baker (Sobieski) and her brother Rhett (Trevor Morgan) have become orphans and placed in the care of their former neighbors, Dr. Erin Glass (Diane Lane) and Terry Glass (Stellan Skarsgård). For Rhett, it works out pretty well, because he can play video games all night. But for Ruby, it means watching Dr. Glass shoot up and Mr. Glass continually insinuate that they're all alone if you know what I mean. The estate and trust fund lawyer Alvin Begleiter (Bruce Dern) is called in, but even a social worker is fooled. Meanwhile, Terry is paying off loan sharks with the kids' inheritance instead of putting them through private school. And for some reason, Ruby is still dumb enough to allow him to write one of her papers, which he plagiarizes, because she has no idea what gaslighting or being a junior quasi-giallo heroine entails. Things get worse — Dr. Glass fatally overdoses, the loan sharks come to get their money or kill everyone, Chris Noth shows up — and Rita Wilson refused to even be credited for being in it. Director Daniel Sackheim produced and directed four episodes on the third season of True Detective, as well as plenty of other TV shows, so he's recovered nicely. Writer Wesley Strick also wrote Wolf, The Saint, Doom, the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Final Analysis, yet people allowed him to keep writing movies. Maybe it's because he also wrote Arachnophobia and Cape Fear, right? Perhaps most importantly, the sequel — Glass House: The Good Mother — has none of the actors or characters from this movie or even the house.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Minh N

interesting concept. steady decline as it goes on. but still not bad.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/22

Full Review

tim s

After their wealthy parents die in a suspicious car crash, sixteen year old Ruby Baker ( LeeLee Sobieski ) and her younger brother are sent to live with their parents best friends. Pre arranged with their late parents and the family lawyer ( Bruce Dern ), the children are placed in the care of Erin ( Diane Lane ) and Terry Glass. ( Stellan Skarsgard ) What unfolds is a simple thriller where a drug addict and bankrupt control freak conspire to take control of the large trust fund left to the children. A number of twists and turns, as subtle as a sledgehammer, result in Ruby overhearing various aspects of their guardians plot and finding ways to escape from the Glass's before she and her brother are disposed of. "The Glass House" does have some good moments from a very strong cast which also includes Kathy Baker and Chris Noth. Unfortunately these good moments are outweighed by a weak story, the convenient ways Ruby discovers what is unfolding and the cast constantly explaining their actions throughout.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An interesting conspiracy thriller, a hidden skeleton in the closet. Sometimes this kind scares you more than ghosts.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Watched this for the first time last weekend - it's not the best movie that has ever been created but still watchable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Daniel Sackheim

Director

Leelee Sobieski

Ruby

Diane Lane

Erin

Stellan Skarsgård

Terry

Bruce Dern

Begleiter

Kathy Baker

Nancy Ryan

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

49%

41%

Vertical Limit

TRAILER

for Vertical Limit

14%

34%

Hush

TRAILER

for Hush

23%

37%

Domestic Disturbance

TRAILER

for Domestic Disturbance

9%

43%

The Skulls

15%

32%

Swimfan

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Keener & Vaughn Head "Into the Wild"

RT Critical Consensus: "Sky High" Soars, "Stealth" Crashes, and Diane Lane and John Cusack Go Dateless

Colorful Cast Announced for Uwe Boll’s Next Opus

View more photos

Synopsis

After the parents of Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and her younger brother, Rhett (Trevor Morgan), are killed in a car crash, their parents' best friends, Erin and Terry Glass (Diane Lane, Stellan Skarsgard), become their guardians. The children hear promises of a world of opulence and California fun -- all they have to do is move into the Glasses' gated house. Before very long, though, Ruby suspects that Erin and Terry may not be the ideal guardians they seemed to be.

Director: Daniel Sackheim
Producer: Michael I. Rachmil
Screenwriter: Wesley Strick
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Original Film, Columbia Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Drug Content|Sinister Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 14, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.0M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now