While on vacation in Italy, a conservative family (Scoot McNairy,
Mackenzie Davis and Alix West Lefler) meet a markedly more
outgoing family (James McAvoy, Aisling Francioci and Dan Hough)
whose introverted young son is mute. Back in England, they
receive an invitation to spend a week at their counterparts’
countryside estate. Perhaps sensing that their lives could use a
little more incident, what the hell, they accept.

There is of course some awkwardness at first, rationalized simply
by saying their hosts just have different social boundaries. But as
the tension rachets up, boundaries are left behind, awkward turns
to fear and then to terror. Saying more would constitute spoilers.

Suffice it to say that although this shrewd, nicely nasty little
squirmer from James Watkins (Eden Lake, The Take) follows a
time-tested format (there’s no mystery, really) an off-the-leash
McAvoy, a uniformly strong supporting cast and some imaginative
predicaments elevate the material to worth-a-look level for
psycho-thriller fans. (110 min)