Sophie (Susan Sarandon) is a married woman and mother of two children. An artist, Sophie, is working from home on a new book as well as dealing with the tragic loss of her mother, who recently passed away. On top of dealing with her recent loss, Sophie is pressured to complete her book’s final draft at a new deadline. Making matters even worse, various strange and unexplainable things are occurring in Sophie’s home. It all begins when Sophie leaves home one morning, thinking she left the iron on. But when she returns home, the iron has been turned off and neatly packed away, which she doesn’t recall doing. She also discovers that open doors are later found closed, which, again, she can’t remember doing, and one of her children claims to have seen someone in the house for a brief moment. More unexplainable is the disappearance of the children’s toys and the fact that some of her photographs from an album have mysteriously vanished. Given that Susan’s husband, Craig (Sam Neill), lost his key recently, they believe that perhaps someone is breaking in and meddling with their peaceful family.
Sophie and Craig decide to change all the locks in their home to find peace of mind. However, more strange and unexplainable events continue, including Sophie discovering a swarm of dangerous wasps in a giant owl vase, which hospitalises her. While recovering, Sophie harbours suspicions that something strange is still happening and that someone must have caused it. All the clues seem to point to a woman named Mara (Emily Blunt), a new co-worker who works alongside Sophie’s husband, Craig. Despite Mara being married with a young daughter, Sophie begins to suspect that Mara is trying to steal Craig from her and is playing games to mess with her. Is Mara the one behind all the unexplainable events? Is Craig being faithful? Or is all this just chaos, just a creation in Sophie’s head?
Irresistible is best described as a thriller. I must say, if you enjoy films that feel very Hitchcockian, then you will find plenty to enjoy about this film. The film was written and directed by Ann Turner, whose past work includes Celia (1989) and Dallas Doll (1994).
From the film’s opening act, multiple mysteries are introduced, which immediately hooked me. The pacing of this film is done wonderfully. Not only are viewers hooked early, but as the story progresses, things get more extensive and significant as more mysteries are revealed. I found most of the performances enjoyable. Undoubtedly, the most commendable and exciting performance comes from actress Susan Sarandon. As the film concludes and major reveals and twists are made (several of them), the film surprised me with its unpredictable turns, which are so unexpected that you’ll keep guessing until the end. I found its conclusions enlightening, but I suspect rewatches will be unlikely.
Overall, while I was unfamiliar with Ann Turner’s work as a writer and director, I enjoyed watching this film. The main plotline was intriguing, with unexplainable mysteries, twists and turns. If you like Alfred Hitchcock films or enjoy playful thrillers, you’ll probably enjoy this one! Susan Sarandon’s performance was solid, especially when compared to the other leading cast members. It’s a fun movie to watch for the first time, but once viewers know all the hows and whys, repeat viewings are less likely to be as enjoyable.
6.6/10
5th October 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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