The Roommate

The film's sure-to-be-brief theatrical release is a mere stopover on the way to basic-cable eternity.

If ever a thriller were to inspire a collective "eh," it's got to be The Roommate. It's not a good movie, by any means, but it's also not bad enough to have fun hating on.

Formulaic and forgettable.

It's the latest in the blank-from-hell genre, in which misogyny and entertainment are made to seem indistinguishable while the blank makes life hell for someone who then is cornered into striking back.

A deplorable unofficial reworking of "Single White Female."

Sucks bad, real bad.

It's only February but I can already name the year's winner of Most Thoughtless Gay Stereotype in Film award. The dubious honor goes to The Roommate.

It's simple but I liked it. The roommate character is freakin' creepy, what else did you people want to watch? Sure the story isn't the most original, but it's really kinda good.

Long story short, this is a bad movie. From the medium acting, to the very stupid actions from the characters to the bad writing, this is a prime example of how not to do a PG-13 "horror" if you can call it that, movie. While from this review it would seem that this is an awful movie, it still managed to be pretty entertaining and I enjoyed watching it. If you're expecting a creepy, violent or even good horror movie, you should watch something else. But if you only want to be entertained and you have an hour and a half to lose, you should give it a chance.

Great soundtrack which, for some insane reason, wasn't released by the studio. Weird move, because that's one of the best parts about this movie. I wouldn't say it's bad; it's just a pretty blatant reboot of Single White Female from the 90s. Main difference is that the "crazy roommate" is presented as crazy right from the beginning, and the "sane roommate" is so laid-back and chill that she's kind of blah (and makes you wonder how she could possibly overlook what's so screamingly obvious to everybody around her). So really, it's tough to sympathize with either character. Then Cam Gigandet shows up and adds some nice humor and sarcasm, but there again -- wish they would have intensified his relationship with Minka Kelly a bit more. These two share a few quickie smooches and an extremely PG-rated "love scene" that makes the relationship feel a lot more cool and casual than the writers may have intended. Okay, not necessarily a major problem ... until we're asked to buy into the fact that the guy would put his life on the line for this chick. Not trying to trash the movie by any means. It's worth a watch; the characters themselves just could have been written a little edgier. And the studio should have released that soundtrack.

The Roommate is a psychological thriller that starts with some promise but quickly slips into familiar territory. The setup is intriguing, with Leighton Meester delivering a solid performance that brings just enough edge to keep things mildly interesting. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't take any risks and sticks too closely to the formula, making the plot feel predictable and the suspense more muted than it should be. The pacing doesn't help either; the first half feels like it's dragging, and if you're not fully invested, you might find your attention wandering. Visually, the movie looks polished, and the college setting feels realistic, but the story lacks depth. While it's watchable, especially if you're just looking for a casual late-night movie, it doesn't do much to stand out in its genre. It's not a bad movie, it's just a forgettable one. If you're up for something light and don't mind a few thriller clichés, it might still be worth a shot. Otherwise, it's the kind of movie you'll struggle to stay awake through, literally.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]