INTRUDERS is a home invasion flick with a few twists to set it apart from the crowd. Unfortunately it's a rather unsatisfactory film with a rather silly and unbelievable back story and situations that don't make a whole lot of sense. One of those films that could exist only in the mind of a scriptwriter rather in the real world.

Beth Riesgraf plays Anna, a woman crippled by agoraphobia to the degree that she can't leave her own home when a trio of thugs invade and threaten violence. This early situation is the most interesting part of the film and unfortunately it all goes downhill from there. The story is punctuated with moments of gruesome violence which are well staged but the overall narrative is hard to get interested in and just sort of plays out in a typical way.

Come the end of the film there's been one twist too many and, again, I didn't really buy what was being offered. It doesn't help that the casting is lacklustre, with Rory Culkin (MEAN CREEK) the only recognisable face here; Riesgraf in particular fails to get the viewer to elicit any sympathy in her character, leaving INTRUDERS an oddly hollow and uninvolving experience overall.

Agoraphobia is nothing to mess with. Though I never had that issue nor do I know anyone with that problem, I can imagine this being very hard and tough to deal with. On the other hand there are much larger problems around the corner (of the house) to deal with. And while it's tough to feel sympathy for characters at times, that doesn't change the fact that this was well thought of.

Of course if you already know one of the major twists in the film, you may not appreciate it as much when it comes after the slow beginning. You may have suspected something, but could one really tell this was going to happen? While Kevin was left at home by accident, there is no accident here (none that is not intended that is). Also there are not that many laughs to be had, because this treats the matter as seriously as is possible. And it actually does a pretty good job. Good suspense, nice turns and a good conclusion ... or is it a bad one? That's up to you to find out (read: decide)

Three guys break into the house of agoraphobe Anna Rook (a fine and credible performance by Beth Riesgraf),who it turns out isn't nearly as helpless as she outwardly appears to be.

Director Adam Schindler not only relates the riveting story at a steady pace, but also adroitly generates a substantial amount of claustrophobic tension. The clever script by T.J. Comfel and David White provides a real doozy of a cool twist that also proves to be surprisingly poignant as well. Riesgraf dominates the movie with her strong and impressive portrayal of a psychologically troubled woman who's also one lethal, formidable, and ultimately pitiable tragic figure. The rest of the cast are likewise rock-solid: Rory Culkin as friendly delivery boy Dan Cooper, Jack Kesy as ruthless ringleader J.P. Henson, Martin Starr as the edgy and dangerous Perry Cuttner, and Joshua Mikel as the reluctant Vance. An on the money little nail-biter.