User Reviews

The premise is predictable but interesting, however, these have got to be the dumbest parents ever. Thank goodness for the kids, especially the daughter, who pick up on cray cray "half sister's" menacing ways. Mom's hair reminds me of 1970's Pete Rose (kind of like when Carrie on The King of Queens got that really bad short hair cut). Did anyone else realize that they were all wearing generic converse sneakers? And that the sinister sister actress is actually 10 years younger that the guy playing her father? From the beginning I knew she was older. 34 years old playing a college student. LOL Not a bad watch but not a great one either.

First of all it's not a stepsister. It's a half-sister. Doh.

But I liked it. It was predictable but good. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

I could tell early on that the real daughter I was going to be the one to figure out what was really happening. She had an interesting spark and the actress Tu Morrow did a great job. The parents were very likeable but kinda oblivious. I especially liked the actress who played the Mom Lisa Mitchell. She was kind, interesting and thoughtful, although gullible. The little boy (Noah? Played by Dane Jarrah) was absolutely charming and sweet. I liked his character more and more as the film continued and especially his role near the end when he became suspicious of Carrie.

The confrontation was really well done. And I'm glad the teenage boyfriend Ryan (Johan Gran) character did not get killed off this time. He was fun. A horndog, but fun.

Did Carrie die in the cellar? It wasn't clear, but I assume so.

In an era in which the concept of a family has been disintegrating, it was refreshing to watch a film that depicted the inherent human elements of the nuclear family.

Samantha Ridge bounced around in foster homes that led her to crave the comfort of a genuine family. She was possessed to murder and impersonate Carlee Byrne and worm her way into the lives of the Mitchell clan. Were it not for the quick-thinking young step-sister Ella, Carlee might have pulled off her power play.

The strength of the film was in the excellent performances with actors who fully inhabited the characters. There was also crisp direction with interesting settings and camera angles. One of the best scenes was when little Noah has discovered the goods on Samantha and is hiding under her bed. The sequence was filmed from Noah's angle looking at a pair of legs when Samantha enters the room.

The closing scene was moving in the depiction of the Mitchells, who have learned from this experience how much they appreciate the special feeling of family.