Penthouse North (2014)

Best movie ever!

Absolutely the worst movie.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I'm old enough to remember being scared silly by Audrey Hepburn's movie of the 60's - a blind woman being terrorized for something her husband stole. The hand grabbing her ankle still makes me screech. This movie is nothing original but still suspenseful in a more current way - more violence, more sexual threat. However, a huge plot hole - a dead body STINKS. Blood stinks, a body "letting go" in death stinks, a sweaty killer stinks. Also, if she could hear the guy on the balcony at the end, why couldn't she hear (or smell or feel) a guy standing a foot in front of her?

The current rating of 5.5 for this excellent movie is way too low. I just watched it and while some of the reviewers criticize it for its simplicity and lack of twists, i would say that is what gives the movie its power. These reviewers just missed the point. Indeed, there are no moments where you jump out of your chair or scream out in fear: that would make it a horror movie. This is a solid thriller with good acting. The story line is simple but effective, and the movie does not need any more complexity or double layers. It is just perfect as it is. Actually, i think the makers have done a great job in making the simple story line interesting enough to be glued to your seat all the time, wanting to know whats going to come next. And there is enough suspense to make it exciting all the way through.

The storyline in "Penthouse North" was fairly generic and predictable, but it still made for an entertaining enough movie. However, it is not the type of movie that you watch more than once.The story is about a war photographer by the name of Sara, who loses her eyesight while on assignment. Years later, living a reclusive life with her boyfriend, Sara comes home to find her boyfriend murdered and the killer still in the apartment.Story-wise then "Penthouse North" wasn't particularly innovative or outstanding, but it was entertaining enough for what it turned out to be. It was adequately paced, but didn't really have many 'edge-of-your-seat' moments, which a good thriller should have.What made the movie watchable was the acting performances of Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton.There are far better and exciting thrillers available, but "Penthouse North" is still worth giving a chance. Who knows, it might just be what you have been looking for.

Almost came close to giving it a 6 but I don't really think it has much replay value so I'll just leave it at a five.Got interested in watching this after being pleasantly surprised by Michael Keaton's performance as a hit-man in MERRY GENTLEMAN so I was a little let down when he hadn't shown up in the first 25 minutes, but once he pops up (closer to the 30 minute mark), he becomes one of the key characters in the film.Has a bit of a rough start in terms of truly getting going and feels slightly amateurish but once it gets going it gets decent enough to keep watching, Michelle Monaghan initially felt a little miscast during the war-segments but once she goes blind she feels more natural.And even though Michael Keaton never feels truly threatening his screen-presence speaks for itself and makes it work somehow, it helps that Monaghan portrays her characters fear very well.Barry Sloane is the third lead in the film and he's just okay, not bad but he doesn't come across as terribly menacing either and doesn't have the same star-power charisma that helped Keaton to make his role a bit better than it was.As far as the story goes, we've kinda seen it all before although minor details feel fresh but they could have done so much more with it. Yeah overall not a great movie, but not a complete disaster either.Decent to watch on a slow Sunday afternoon perhaps.