Amber Valletta Movie:

Editorial Review:
A good old-fashioned thriller that wears its Alfred Hitchcock pedigree proudly on its sleeve, What Lies Beneath stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as picture-perfect married couple Norman and Claire Spencer, who seem happy and content with a fabulous house, college-age daughter and still-active libidos. When said daughter heads off to college, Claire starts obsessing about her new neighbors, and becomes convinced that the moody husband killed the neurotic wife, and that the wife's ghost has a desperately important message for her. Yes, it's true, there is a ghost, and there is a message, but it has decidedly more personal--and life-threatening--implications for Claire and Norman. Suddenly, that car crash last year that Claire can barely remember and the circumstances surrounding it start falling into place, and Claire begins to realize Norman may have a secret.

Director Robert Zemeckis loads the first half of What Lies Beneath with humorous cheap thrills (the suddenly ringing phone, etc.) that poke fun at Claire's dilemma while simultaneously making you tense beyond belief. Between each goofy thrill, though, is one true one that will make you jump out of your seat, including a bathtub that keeps filling itself. And all the while, Zemeckis subtly telegraphs the fissures in the Spencers' marriage, slowly revealing that all is not well between these two. Yes, it's a blatant Hitchcock homage to movies such as Rear Window and Suspicion, but it's sleekly made, entertaining and engrossing. Ford does his stoic thing well (and looks great doing it), and Diana Scarwid provides a refreshingly lighthearted turn as Claire's best pal, but it's pretty much Pfeiffer's movie all the way, and she carries the film on her not-so-fragile shoulders. And the third act is a suspense tour de force, complete with a breathtaking sequence featuring Pfeiffer and that menacing bathtub. In a time of obvious horror films, What Lies Beneath is an intelligent, fun thrill ride that will leave you breathless. --Mark Englehart

What Lies Beneath [Region 2] Reviews:
I want that part of my life back!!
2008-12-14 - Quite possibly, the worst movie I've ever seen! I'm not sure what I can say that won't "give the plot away" but I wanted to slap some sense into our hero, who obviously has no survival instincts whatsoever. She did everything wrong--I am genuinely amazed she did not do the cliche "putting on high heeled shoes and walk downstairs into the basement" routine as with so many other "horror" flicks. OMG! This movie is predictable and good only if you want to turn it into a drinking game.

Of my friends (and there are many) NONE of them can say they enjoyed this film! I'm sure that tastes are varied, but nothing astonishes me more than people actually enjoying this tripe. Really? Did you REALLY enjoy it? Come on, you're just trying to improve sales, is that it? Admit it...

Anyway, I'm going back to pretending I've never seen this flick. Do yourself a favor: avoid it, so you won't have to put yourself into shock therapy and spend loads of money trying to forget you've seen it. (We're thinking of holding a support group. Contact me if you're interested.)



What lies!
2008-12-09 - "What lies beneath" is a taut thriller about a picture-perfect couple (Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer) Their only child is off to college, and everything seems to be okay. They still make passionate love, all is well with the world. Pfeiffer soon experiences eerie hauntings. She thinks she's going off the deep end. Ford appears to be supportive.

"What lies beneath" superbly shows a marriage falling apart. Miranda Otto,who's otherwise famous as Eowyn "I am no man!" stars one of the next door neighbors that Pfeiffer fears for. It's nice to see Otto playing a comic role to balance out the grim subject matter.

"What lies beneath" peels away its layers like an onion. Pfeiffer learns of her husband's dalliance with a student, and things turn for the worse. Ford is pitch-perfect as the narcissistic,and ultimately creepy, husband. What lies beneath... are many lies.

A great thriller
2008-10-05 - I have to begin by saying that this is one of my all time favorite movies. You are a Hitchcock fan then you will love this movie. It has the same feel of a Hitchcock movie but with modern technology. The acting is wonderful and no matter how many times I watch it I always find something I didn't notice before. It's an excellent film and will make an excellent addition to anyone's film collection.

What Lies Beneath
2008-09-16 - I had watched this movie many times before purchasing this copy! I wanted my own copy in order to watch it many times more without having to rent. The copy sent to me was in excellent condition and I have watched it twice since receiving it. I always jump in the scary scenes, even though I know what is going to happen!

Creepy
2008-09-01 - This is one of the better movies made recently in this genre. It's more of a supernatural-suspense movie than horror. Michele Pfeifer is great as the empty-nested mother who becomes spooked by strange occurences. Is something happening to her or is she going crazy? Either one is an option. It was a good movie with a rather surprise ending. If your looking for something gory or something to jump out at you this isn't the movie for you. Rather it is a very well made, well acted atmospheric movie.