The Ruse (2024) by Stevan Mena: Deception in a Haunted House

Short Summary: A Web of Lies A haunted house thriller that turns into a complicated whodunnit, The Ruse follows Dale, a caregiver with a troubled past, who is assigned to a mysterious elderly patient named Olivia in a remote seaside home. After the previous caregiver vanishes, Dale is left to contend with Olivia's dementia, unsettling claims of a ghostly presence, and suspicious neighbors. The film builds tension by making the audience question whether the house is haunted or if something more sinister is at play, ultimately revealing a series of deceptions and long cons.

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27146069/

Link Review: https://nextbestpicture.com/the-ruse/

About movie: https://www.therusemovie.com/

Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-ruse (US), https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/the-ruse (Canada), https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/the-ruse (UK),

Detailed Summary: A Caregiver's Descent into Paranoia The film centers on Dale (Madelyn Dundon), a home health aide returning to work after a tragic incident with a previous patient. She is sent to a secluded New England home to care for Olivia (Veronica Cartwright), a reclusive former composer with dementia. Olivia's behavior is erratic, and she frequently speaks of her deceased husband's ghost coming for her. Dale also contends with peculiar neighbors, including a creepy man named Tom (Michael Steger) and his daughter, who reinforces the idea that the house is haunted. As Dale uncovers red flags and the mystery of her predecessor's disappearance, the line between supernatural horror and psychological thriller blurs. The plot culminates in a series of twists and reveals that reframe the entire story, exposing a complex plot of deceit rather than a ghostly haunting.

Director's Vision: The Art of the Con

• Stevan Mena's vision for The Ruse was to create a suspense-driven mystery that plays with audience expectations.

• He aimed to craft a slow-burn thriller reminiscent of Hitchcockian suspense films, using a seemingly haunted house as a cover for a more grounded, sinister plot.

• The director sought to rely on atmosphere, character tension, and psychological unease rather than jump scares to build a sense of dread.

Themes: The Illusion of Reality

• Deception and Appearances: The central theme of the film is that nothing is what it seems. Every character and event, from the haunted house to the seemingly simple neighbors, is part of an elaborate lie designed to manipulate the protagonist.

• Trust and Paranoia: As Dale's reality crumbles, the film explores how quickly trust can erode. The protagonist's isolation and the web of secrets woven by those around her lead to a pervasive sense of paranoia, a key component of the psychological thriller genre.

• The Sins of the Past: The main characters' pasts, including Dale's checkered history and Olivia's former profession, are not just backstory. They are integral to the plot and the motivations of the "ruse," demonstrating how history can come back to haunt us in unexpected ways.

Key Success Factors: A Genre-Bending Premise

• Genre Subversion: The film's biggest strength is its subversion of the haunted house trope. By setting up the classic genre conventions and then pulling the rug out from under the audience, it creates a unique and unpredictable narrative.

• Veronica Cartwright's Performance: As noted by critics, the veteran actress delivers a compelling performance as Olivia. She masterfully navigates the character's shifts between fragility and lucidity, serving as a captivating anchor for the film's suspense.

• Atmospheric Setting: The isolated seaside home in Maine provides a hauntingly beautiful and claustrophobic backdrop, mirroring the protagonist's growing sense of entrapment and unease.

Awards and Nominations: Recognition on the Festival Circuit The Ruse was recognized at the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF), where it won the Best-Made-in-Maine Feature Film prize. The jury praised the film's haunting cinematography and the strong ensemble cast, particularly highlighting Veronica Cartwright's performance. The film also had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Critics Reception: A Mixed Verdict

• Punch Drunk Critics: The review praises Veronica Cartwright's "solid performance" but finds the film's convoluted ending "incredibly confusing and unfortunately cheap." It suggests the final reveals "frustrate the audience" and that the film tries to be smarter than it is.

• Cryptic Rock: This review gives the film a low rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars, stating that while it has "compelling settings and talented actors," it struggles with pacing and an overreliance on exposition to explain its convoluted plot.

• Screen Rant: The review calls the film's climax "convoluted and over-explained," noting that the story "takes forever to get interesting" and relies on "clichés and red herrings."

Overall Summary: Critical reception for The Ruse is mixed, leaning toward the negative. While some reviewers commend the film's atmospheric setting and Veronica Cartwright's strong performance, many are critical of its pacing and an overly complicated, unsatisfying ending that is often described as feeling like an extended exposition dump.

Reviews: The Divide Between Critics and Audience

• Film Threat: A more positive review on this site called the film an "excellent spooky diversion, like a picnic in the graveyard."

• Fandango: Audience reviews are varied, with some praising the film as a "good thriller" with a "plot that I haven't seen before." However, others call it a "low-budget film that Lifetime TV could have made" and found the acting unbelievable with the exception of Cartwright.

Overall Summary: Audience reviews are divided but generally more forgiving than professional critics. While some found the film to be a slow-burn thriller with a good mystery, others felt it was predictable and more suited for television, lacking the suspense it aimed for.

Why to recommend this movie: A Psychological Thriller for Mystery Lovers

• For Fans of "Whodunnits": If you enjoy un-spooling a complex mystery and are willing to look past some narrative flaws, the film's series of twists will keep you guessing until the very end.

• For Veronica Cartwright's Performance: Her role as the eccentric Olivia is a highlight of the film and a must-see for fans of the iconic actress.

• A Film That Defies Genre: This is a good watch for those who appreciate a film that starts as one thing and ends as another, offering a narrative experience that is not easily categorized.

Movie Trend: The Redefinition of Horror The Ruse fits into the cinematic trend of psychological thrillers and mysteries that borrow from the horror genre without being strictly a horror film. This trend, seen in movies like Get Out and The Babadook, uses elements of suspense, isolation, and paranoia to create a sense of dread that is more cerebral and less reliant on traditional jump scares or gore. The film’s focus on human malevolence rather than supernatural forces places it firmly in this modern, character-driven subgenre.

Social Trend: The In-Home Caregiver Narrative The movie taps into the social trend of exploring the complexities and vulnerabilities of the in-home caregiver profession. As the population ages, stories about the strained, intimate, and sometimes dangerous relationships between caregivers and their elderly patients have become more prevalent. The Ruse uses this realistic social dynamic as a foundation for its central mystery, highlighting the potential for exploitation and the fragility of trust in a setting where one person is completely dependent on another.

Final Verdict: A Flawed but Intricate Mystery The Ruse is an ambitious thriller that attempts to pull off a complex shell game of a plot. While it struggles with pacing, narrative cohesion, and a heavy-handed ending, it succeeds in creating a compelling atmosphere of unease and features a captivating performance from its leading lady, Veronica Cartwright. It's not a perfect film, but its unique premise and commitment to a twist-heavy narrative make it a worthwhile watch for audiences who appreciate an intricate mystery, even if the final reveal doesn't entirely stick the landing.