Dream House

"Once upon a time, there were two little girls who lived in a house."

2011 1h 24m EN

😐

6.2

MID

🥫

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.2TMDB · 1,474🥫7%Rotten Tomatoes●35Metacritic★6IMDB · 71,050

MysteryDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Publisher Will Atenton quits a lucrative job in New York to relocate his wife, Libby, and their daughters to a quaint town in New England. However, as they settle into their home the Atentons discover that a woman and her children were murdered there, and the surviving husband is the town's prime suspect. With help from a neighbor who was close to the murdered family, Will pieces together a horrifying chain of events.

“Once upon a time, there were two little girls who lived in a house.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Daniel Craig
Will Atenton
Naomi Watts
Ann Patterson
Rachel Weisz
Libby Atenton
Marton Csokas
Jack Patterson
Elias Koteas
Boyce
Taylor Geare
Trish
Claire Geare
Dee Dee
Rachel Fox
Chloe Patterson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jim Sheridan
Writers: David Loucka
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 80% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jim Sheridan, shot by Caleb Deschanel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Debney. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Glen Scantlebury shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Daniel Craig and Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jim Sheridan directs. Caleb Deschanel behind the camera. John Debney scores. Glen Scantlebury cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
3Earned back only 80% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
4Released 15 years ago.
5Directed by Jim Sheridan, shot by Caleb Deschanel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by John Debney. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Glen Scantlebury shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Daniel Craig and Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Once upon a time, there were two little girls who lived in a house.".
10IMDB entry: tt1462041 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 10 themes, including "family relationships", "psychiatric hospital", "neighbor", "snow".

The technical file

Cinematography: Caleb Deschanel
Original score: John Debney
Editing: Glen Scantlebury
Production design: Carol Spier
Costume design: Delphine White
Makeup / hair: Vincent Sullivan
VFX supervisor: Colin Davies
Sound: Gary Summers
Stunt coordinator: John Stoneham Jr.
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $50,000,000
Box office: $39,984,400
Return: 80% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Dream House (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 7% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 35/100
IMDB rating: 6/10 · 71,050 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

2 nominations total

Also by

Jim Sheridan

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-10-18
★ 7/10
Daniel Craig is good in the lead, while the premise is an intriguing one. However, it doesn't quite come together cohesively enough to be enjoyed on a major level. I didn't dislike <em>'Dream House'</em>, I found it alright to be honest. Craig (Will), as alluded to, is enjoyable in the main role, with Rachel Weisz (Libby) and Naomi Watts (Ann) being solid supports. The casting is probably the best thing about this film. It's the execution of the plot that holds it back. What's produced is watchable, but doesn't - at least for me - connect on any hearty level. The final act is a little clunky and messy, despite a nice reveal earlier on in the 84 minutes . It's definitely an interesting concept, but it's mostly a wasted one by the end. Reportedly, along with director John Sheridan, Craig and Weisz disagreed with the producer's final cut - no blame to them, if so. Craig, the idea and the run time stops this leaving a negative memory. I likely won't revisit it, but it's an OK - if underwhelming - production.

Production companies