‘Unlawful Entry’ Is an Underrated ‘90s Thriller With an All-Star Cast [The Overlooked Motel]
Tyler Doupe'
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This week’s selection is a chilling psychological thriller from director Jonathan Kaplan. Unlawful Entry features an all-star cast, strong performances from the lead characters, and a persistent sense of unease that rarely lets up long enough for the viewer to catch their breath.
The film opens on yuppie couple, Karen (Madeleine Stowe) and Michael (Kurt Russell) Carr. As they wind down for the evening, they hear a series of suspicious noises. Michael heads downstairs to investigate and comes to suspect a burglary is in progress. After some searching, he confirms there is an intruder in their home. Shortly thereafter, the perpetrator grabs Karen and puts a knife to her throat while Michael stands by helplessly.
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The home invader eventually leaves the dwelling but Michael and Karen come away from the ordeal feeling powerless and violated. When Pete (Ray Liotta), the responding officer, arrives on the scene, he puts the Carrs at ease, effortlessly befriending the couple. But as the charismatic lawman begins to show his true colors, what once seemed like a promising friendship turns into a waking nightmare.
Unlawful Entry opens with one of the most terrifying prospects anyone can imagine: A home invasion. For most people, that violation of their sacred space would be the most horrifying ordeal of their lifetime. And one would likely expect that things could only get better from there. In fact, that’s precisely what Michael and Karen appear to assume when Pete arrives on the scene. They seem to think their problems are over and that increased home security and a friend in law enforcement will ensure they aren’t victimized again. But oh, how wrong they are. The terror they experience during the home invasion is child’s play compared to the fresh hell Pete is about to rain down.
The opening sequence is skillfully edited and lensed. Closely cropped camerawork gives the impression that someone is lurking in the shadows as Michael searches the premises for an intruder. Director Jonathan Kaplan teases out the eventual reveal of the perpetrator to allow for maximum anticipation. Because of that, the moments before the culprit appears in the frame feel like an eternity. The viewer likely suspects someone is about to creep out from the shadows. But not knowing when that will happen makes the experience profoundly unsettling.
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Unlawful Entry stands out to me as a memorable ‘90s thriller because it takes care to invert expectations. The Carrs begin to feel vulnerable in their home, which is considered by many to be a safe space. And once they finally begin to bounce back in that regard, they realize that the police officer who has taken an oath to protect has his own twisted agenda.
Inversion of expectations aside, Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe are both highly effective as the Carrs. They each convey a palpable sense of paranoia induced by having their safe space invaded and their trust betrayed. However, the real star of the show is Ray Liotta as the profoundly troubled Pete. The late actor turns in an unhinged performance fueled by toxic masculinity and gross misuse of power, a terrifying combination for sure.
Pete allows his unhealthy fixation with Karen to override his better judgment, letting his carnal urges take control. Then, he abuses his standing as an officer of the law to cover up his wrongdoings. Liotta walks the fine line between menacing and scenery-chewing admirably. His turn as Pete proves to be utterly terrifying and never veers into comical territory.
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Although Unlawful Entry was a reasonable box office success in 1992, it seems to have been largely forgotten in the years since. Fans of ‘90s psychological thrillers like Single White Female will surely find plenty to enjoy about this unnerving affair with a star-studded cast.
If you’re curious to check the film out, you can find it streaming on Tubi, Plex, The Roku Channel, and FreeVee as of the publication of this post.
That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you’d like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram.
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