Columbus Circle (2012)

This thriller stars Selma Blair as Abigail, an heiress who changed her identity to escape her abusive father and in order to make sure he would never find her, shut herself away in her plush penthouse apartment for the best part of two decades. When her elderly neighbour is killed, Abigail finds herself being forced to open up her home first to the investigating detective (Giovanni Ribisi) and then to her new neighbour Lillian (Amy Smart) when her abusive partner Charles (Jason Lee) tries to kill her one night in a drunken stupor. Abigail slowly but surely strikes up a friendship with Lillian, but are her new neighbours all that they seem?

There are lots of trolls online claiming that this is the worst piece of garbage they’ve ever seen. Whilst it’s not as chilling as say ‘The Hand That Rocks the Cradle’ or ‘Pacific Heights’ it’s still a very good film with a brilliant cast (most of whom also wrote and produced the film).

The film starts with a very effective opening murder sequence and is well paced until a huge reveal two thirds of the way through. After this event, things spiral out of control both literally and figuratively (which in a way, suits the film) and the ending seems a tad silly. If you pay attention and use your brain however, a few things can be explained away.

I hadn’t heard of this film until it hit Region 2 DVD on March 5th. Many people will assume this is because it was too crappy for a theatrical release, but at a little over 80 minutes it’s the perfect film for midweek viewing when there’s nothing else on TV.

OVERALL SUMMARY
Columbus Circle isn’t the most original film ever and it’s not the most exciting either, but with a great cast and a good story, thriller fans might enjoy this.