Reed Rodney (Blake Stadel) is a famous writer who is not only in a creative slump, but has also endured a brutal accident. With his mouth wired shut, he is left to linger about his home – sitting around on his laptop and slurping away at his nutritional drinks through a large straw. Things become a little more eventful for him when his estranged daughter Emmy (Natalie Sharp) arrives to visit him. She shares that her mom thought it might be a good idea for her to spend some time with him before she heads off to school; but when Reed learns from his ex-wife that she did not send Emmy to him, one begins to wonder what Emmy’s intentions may be. When a plan to rob Reed goes awry, the two are tested – they must work together or face a terrible fate.
Where Wired Shut sets itself apart from other home invasion films is in the relationship between these two characters. Directed by Alexander Sharp, written by Sharp and Peter Malone Elliott, the film makes for an intimate drama-thriller involving a daughter who has been wronged by her father and that father wanting to be better. Let alone that this dramatic element makes for a compelling dynamic, it also serves to present an intriguing twist on the home invasion genre.
The audience doesn’t know much about Reed up front; what little exposition does come through is in how the audience sees Reed struggle to write, as well as the text that appears onscreen. Given that he can’t talk, we get glimpses of texts from others reaching out to him and his replies. The film takes its time to coast along and settle on quiet moments where Reed is alone. This time helps to build upon the sense that Reed is frustrated and feels lonely. At one point, we see him pull up a social media profile of a young woman – who the viewer learns later is his daughter – and then purchase a very expensive camera lens. Things pick up when Emmy finally arrives to his home. The two have minimal interaction beyond that of short, heated conversation – the latter coming from Emmy since Reed can’t talk. Emmy mentions going to school for photography, hence Reed buying the camera lens for her.
What is intriguing about their interactions is how much the visual and auditory elements of the film say about their relationship. While Emmy does vocally speak to the specifics regarding the anger she has for her father, so much of their distance is conveyed through atmospheric detail. Several scenes have a blue tint to them, highlighting an air of coldness; much like the scenes from earlier where it was only Reed in the house, the film continues to use silence as a powerful tool in conveying emotion. The camera continues to linger for long periods of time – whether it’s on someone’s face or on a room as a whole – communicating how far apart these two are.
The strain between Reed and Emmy is authentic, which in turn helps to establish an even more tense mood when the home invasion portion of the film kicks in. Preston (Behtash Fazlali) breaks into Reed’s home, looking to crack a safe of his full of cash. Without getting into spoilers, I can’t say much about who Preston is, but suffice to say, his role is a major element that plays into the dynamic between Reed and Emmy. What I can say is that he is a real intense guy – cruel, abrasive, and a genuine threat. However, Fazlali plays the character a little too intensely. Nothing against the guy’s acting, but the character’s super unhinged nature dips into melodrama. Though Preston’s eccentric nature can be effective at times, he can be jarring, with some actions of his coming off much goofier than they should be. The conclusion of the home invasion being such a moment, where there should be a greater air of seriousness and stress – but the scene plays out very comically.
That said, Stadel and Sharp offer strong performances that sell the father and daughter’s distance between one another; the father-daughter angle making for an interesting twist when it comes to those striving to survive a home invasion. Compared to a lot of other films in the subgenre, Wired Shut proves to be an effective home invasion thriller with heart.
Wired Shut is now available On Demand.
