By Geno McGahee
Lionsgate has just released a home invasion thriller with Bruce Willis and Chad Michael Murray. Willis is no stranger to the action genre or the thriller genre, doing several films in each style and doing them both well. From DIE HARD to THE SIXTH SENSE, Willis has done it all and has taken a slightly different style in his later years, bringing a grittier approach. We saw it in DEATH WISH and we see in here in the new film “SURVIVE THE NIGHT.”
Frank (Willis) takes in his son, Rich (Murray) into his home after a disaster that ruined his life. A disgraced doctor, Rich gave away his entire career after a controversy, which destroys his dad. He wanted his son to fight and he didn’t and he’s not the only one. Rich’s wife, Jan (Lydia Hull), also wanted her man to fight and makes it clear that their marriage is on rocky ground.
Willis and Murray are very good together. You can tell when Willis is into a role and when he isn’t and he did a great job here and so did Murray. The delivery between the two and how they worked off each other was very good and intense.
We transition over to the Granger boys. Jamie (Shea Buckner) and Matthias (Tyler Jon Olson), two crooks ready to run to Mexico with a bag full of money. Unfortunately, Jamie cannot control himself and tries to get some more money at a convenience store but it goes bad and a woman (Sara Lynn Herman) is murdered. Now they are really on the run and Matthias is badly injured from a bullet during the botched robbery.
After scouting out Rich, they follow him to his house and enter, bringing this film into the home invasion territory and it has that feel. Bruce Willis has been dealing with this a lot lately, considering that his family was impacted terribly in DEATH WISH and his family was taken hostage in another home invasion movie called “HOSTAGE” from 2005. He just doesn’t have any luck.
Jamie and Matthias can’t help but to screw up left and right and it keeps making the situation worse and worse. With no way out, outside of a wipeout of the entire family, it’s up to Rich to find his courage and stand up and fight and considering just how unlikable the bad guys are, it’s easy to root for the family to rise up and take them down.
SURVIVE THE NIGHT is a really good home invasion movie. Bruce Willis was great in this. His gritty tough guy is so believable and done so well. Overall, the cast, story and pacing made the film a great watch. I highly recommend this one.
