Isolation toys with us, makes us feel helpless and fills us with dread and fear. In Jeremy Regimbal’s debut film “In Their Skin,” that feeling is definitely present, but it falls short of becoming a fear inducing, scare-fest. It appears to borrow from more aspects of horror films than it can handle, and in the end, the movie feels redundant and repetitive.

However, for those who enjoy home invasion films, “In Their Skin” might be just up their alley.
Regimbal’s film follows Mark (Joshua Close) and Mary (Selma Blair) Hughes, who are driving up to their lake house with their son Brendon (Quinn Lord) to escape the tragic death of their daughter. Tension is evident between Mark and Mary, as neither is happy at this point in their lives.

Upon arriving to their house, they encounter their neighbors Bobby (James D’Arcy), Jane (Rachel Miner) and Jared (Alex Ferris), who greet them with an unusual sense of curiosity. After Mark invites them to dinner, he soon realizes the mistake he has made, and a friendly meal becomes an excruciatingly intimate and creepy night.

“In Their Skin” suffers from a weak script, but benefits from the strong performances of its primary leads. Joshua Close is very convincing as a man trying hard to cope with the death of his daughter, all while trying to keep his family together in the darkest of times. Selma Blair is equally good as his wife, torn to pieces by a husband that appears to be paying less attention to her. Blair has rarely been this good on screen, and her scenes alone with Close are played with realistic intimacy and emotional devastation.

James D’Arcy is magnificent as the neighbor wanting so desperately to be part of a perfect family, by any means necessary. The subtle fury in his performance will keep audiences at the edge of their seats, waiting for him to snap from the quiet, awkward fa’ÛÎ_ade he is hiding behind. Rachel Miner is also good as D’Arcy’s wife, finding herself following him because she has no one left.

The script tries so hard to bring something fresh and innovative to the home invasion genre, but ultimately pales in comparison to films of similar story like “Funny Games.” Although it brings interesting characters to the table, it does little with them, and the film becomes exactly what we’d expect. It’s not bad, but it isn’t anything new. Regimbald does an admirable job racking up tension and creates a tense atmosphere that is sure to leave audiences feeling uneasy.

The performances and direction are enough to save this film from an uninspired script and have paved the way for a promising new director.