The Resident | Hammer Films stalks the screens again

Back from the dead, Hammer Films stalks the screen again with moderately creepy psychological horror thriller The Resident. Hilary Swank stars as a New York ER doctor who moves into a new apartment after a messy break-up. The flat is spacious and suspiciously cheap, and her new landlord (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is handsome and helpful. It would all be perfect, if only Swank's doc didn't have the feeling she was being watched.

The Resident is atmospherically shot but the predictable script doesn't supply enough twists to whip up truly nerve-jangling tension. Shame we don't see more of Hammer veteran Christopher Lee's sinister grandfather. His first words to Swank's heroine are, "Sorry I scared you". Debutant director Antii J Jokinen tries hard, but he can't in all honesty say the same.

Released on DVD & Blu-ray by Icon Home Entertainment on 4th July.

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A film critic for over 25 years, Jason admits the job can occasionally be glamorous – sitting on a film festival jury in Portugal; hanging out with Baz Luhrmann at the Chateau Marmont; chatting with Sigourney Weaver about The Archers – but he mostly spends his time in darkened rooms watching films. He’s also written theatre and opera reviews, two guide books on Rome, and competed in a race for Yachting World, whose great wheeze it was to send a seasick film critic to write about his time on the ocean waves. But Jason is happiest on dry land with a classic screwball comedy or Hitchcock thriller.