Director: Mimi Cave
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Gael Garcia Bernal
Running Time: 108 minutes
Synopsis: In the quaint town of Holland, Michigan, schoolteacher Nancy (Nicole Kidman) is married to optometrist Fred (Matthew Macfadyen). Although her life is superficially near-perfect, Nancy suffers from anxieties and starts to suspect that Fred, who travels a lot on business, is having affairs. Nancy considers initiating an extramarital romance of her own with fellow teacher Dave (Gael Garcia Bernal), and together they start investigating Fred's activities.
What Works Well: Fred's hobby as a builder of intricate model train sets gives director Mimi Cave an opportunity to mix alternative versions of reality, contributing to the satisfying confusion around Nancy's mental state. The primary theme explores the consequences of settling for a plastic sense of security in a dangerous world, and offers tantalizing but unfulfilled glimpses of plot potential.
What Does Not Work As Well: The good intentions are sunk by muddled execution, a wayward tone, repetitive beats, and a sludgy aesthetic. The inability to extract strong momentum extends to two separate but samey episodes of Nancy infiltrating Fred's space to rifle through his things. When the details of his activities become apparent, plot holes amplified by unexplained context ravage the screen.
Key Quote:
Fred (to Nancy): It's important to me, Nancy, that you feel safe here.
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