What’s scarier than being alone? Not knowing you aren’t. And while Intruder works hard to play up that premise, it never quite gets it right. A young woman living alone unknowingly has her apartment broken into quickly and quietly. The intruder watches her from a variety of distances, constant near misses with an obvious build toward some kind of confrontation. To the film’s credit, the oblivious lead allows for two stories to unfold, the intruder’s, and hers. But neither are particularly gripping. It’s a strong premise, without a matching execution. There are clear agendas to the cinematography and soundtrack, techniques relied on heavily to obscure the intruder and attempt to inspire dread. It rings false, leaving the viewer aware that they should be, but not actually frightened.
