Opened: July 21, 2000

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Harrison Ford, Diana Scarwid, Miranda Otto, James Remar, Katherine Towne, Ray Baker, Joe Morton, Amber Valletta & Wendy Crewson

Despite having a smart premise, outstanding leads and a slow burn, What Lies Beneath drags out for a longer runtime than needed and loses its audience’s interest.

After sending her daughter (Katherine Towne) off to college, Claire Spencer (Michelle Pfeiffer) begins hearing noises in her house and noticing strange things with the neighbors. Her scientist husband Dr. Norman Spencer (Harrison Ford) discards her fears, while concealing secrets of his own.

The main issue here is not a lot lies beneath the surface. Supporting characters are underdeveloped and easily discarded, while there are many questions about Claire, Norman and their ghost that go unanswered.

Despite that, it is a solid fright and its third act is full of suspense supported by the grounded performances of Pfeiffer and Ford.

Final say: Slow, but an interesting dark turn for Pfeiffer and Ford. ★★★☆☆