Jess (Sarah Michelle Gellar) adores her loving and extremely romantic husband Ryan (Michael Landes). Her only problem is his brother Roman (Lee Pace), who couldn’t have been more opposite. He has been arrested for assault, he has violent tendencies and he is just creepy enough to make Jesse cringe. Moreover, he stays with the otherwise blissfully happy couple.
Jess’s life comes crashing down when a horrible accident ends both brothers in a coma. She can’t get used to life without Ryan but then something happens to make things even weirder. Roman wakes up, believing he is Ryan. He acts just like his brother. Jesse is more than disturbed by this but what the hell is she going to do when Roman is saying and doing things only Ryan could know?
Don’t let the genres -listed -on IMDB- for this movie fool you. Completely ignore the “horror”, and rather than expecting a thriller, concentrate on the mystery, drama and romance part. If you do that, you have a nice film. It is a really disturbing situation Jess is in and you really feel her confusion and pain. She can’t understand if something paranormal is at work- can her husband’s soul somehow be in his brother’s body now? The love she has for Ryan and her regrets cloud her judgment and from then on things take some interesting turns.
Now, of course you see the twists and turns coming. The explanation is pretty much in front of you. But put yourself in Jess’ position and then the movie becomes an uncomfortably entertaining experience. I liked the performances; especially Lee Pace can very convincingly switch from psycho to sweetheart. Very good romantic drama. Average thriller. No horror. Decide what you are in the mood for, and set your expectations accordingly. Based on a Korean film, so if you are allergic to remakes, do stay away.
P.S. I checked out the alternate ending. I couldn’t find the DVD but thankfully youtube came to rescue. I prefer the alternate version (it has more different scenes- not just the ending). It is more intense, true to the original Korean version. Let me know how you feel about the movie and which version you like best.
Other Posts on Lee Pace
Soldier’s Girl: A Haunting True Story starring Lee Pace and Troy Garity
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day starring Amy Adams, Frances McDormand and Lee Pace
The Fall starring Lee Pace and Catinca Untaru
When in Rome starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. feat. Lee Pace
Other Posts on Sarah Michelle Gellar:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Love stories with a real twist: