DVD review (region 2)
Directed by Eric Red
Starring Famke Janssen, Bobby Cannavale, Ed Westwick, Michael Paré
Release date 2 March 2009

Abused wife Marnie (Janssen) kills her policeman husband in self-defence and is promptly sent to prison. She is, however, released early on the condition that she wears an electronic ankle bracelet that keeps her within 100 feet of her house. The only downer: the place is haunted by her former beau…

There is a lot to like about 100 Feet, from a sombre and sympathetic acting performance by erstwhile X-Men maiden Janssen to a number of effective jump-scares and a perfectly perverse death sequence that brings new meaning to the term “bone bending”. However, writer/director Eric Red (who also penned the genre classics Near Dark and The Hitcher) seems unsure of what direction he wants his haunted house hokum to go in.

Beginning as a seriously spooky little mood piece, the narrative falls into a tailspin the minute that Janssen learns how to destroy her domestic demon via a couple of library books.

The craziness continues when our leading lady tries to attack the spirit of her sadistic ex-hubbie with a baseball bat (!) and then with her spontaneously combusting wedding ring (!!). Nevertheless there are enough frights in this nonsensical shocker to keep you watching until the (frankly absurd) ending.

Sadly, the DVD comes packed with only a solitary trailer. Calum Waddell

VERDICT: 6/10
As part of a well-worn genre, 100 Feet is best placed somewhere between The Haunting and The Amityville Dollhouse.