I've skimmed past this film several times and paid it little attention, a few minutes in after the opening pleasantries the film switches in tempo, and what follows is a gripping, unnerving and at times uncomfortable watch. I think because the victim is initially unaware of the perpetrator, the film is given a different twist, plenty of thrills follow. Listed as a horror, I suppose the premise fits it into that genre, but in reality it's very much a psychological thriller. Don't get me wrong there were some scares, like the bath scene, but generally it's a thriller.

Kate Siegel and John Gallagher Jr. are just incredible, two particularly good and contrasting performances. Perhaps because the film features less dialogue then the norm you are encouraged to watch it without looking away at phones and tablets etc, you are forced into a greater concentration.

So much more then the usual house invasion film.

Maddie Young (Kate Siegel) is a deaf writer living alone in an isolated house in the woods. She lost her hearing at 13. Sarah is a neighbor friend who admires her writing. She gets killed by a masked man with a crossbow at Maddie's door but Maddie is unable to hear the commotion. Maddie becomes the next target of the sadistic killer.

This is a really simple small contained horror perfect for Blumhouse. It's very solid with a couple of minor issues. The house, being such an important setting, needs a through tour to show the layout for the audience. John's arrival leads to a couple of more problems. First, he's tapping on the glass like she would hear him when he knows she's deaf. Second, he's suspicious but he can't know for sure about anything. It's more logical to separate yourself from the other guy and call the cops. The scene straddles a fine line between tension and disbelief. It slips over that line a little at a couple of points. The best scene is her considering all the possibilities and tying it back to her murder mystery writing skills. A cool way to end this would have been for the movie to go silent as the cops with their sirens come driving up the road. Instead it's only fading out the sirens which is fine but it doesn't trust the silence and insists on a sound effect. Honestly, the closing credits should all be done in silence. These are all little annoying choices which subtracts from my enjoyment of a really simple horror concept. Also I would figure this is scarier for women who live alone in big houses.

Maddie (Kate Siegel) is an author who lives in an isolated community. She is also deaf and mute since age 13. Add a psycho killer with a crossbow and you got our story of the typical fighting, hiding, oops a neighbor type of film we have seen before and even with blind people. Kate sometimes hears voices in her head that help her write, now they are trying to save her life.

This was a pretty good home break-in type of film. it follows the formula and as such was too long in the middle during the run and hide scenes.

Guide: 1F-word. No sex or nudity.