A psychological thriller about a senior at one of America's most prestigious universities. Under enormous pressure to complete her thesis and earn a top job at one of the world's most competitive consulting firms, Katie is still coping with the sudden unexplained disappearance of her first love two years prior. As the investigation continues, Katie is forced to choose between past passions and new possibilities, even as new facts are uncovered.
Pic's structure and last-minute disclosures entirely betray any personal investment the viewer has made in this low-key yarn, which will cause audiences to feel ambushed and sullied at fadeout.
– Todd McCarthy,
Variety,
18 Oct 2002
fresh:
It's light on the chills and heavy on the atmospheric weirdness, and there are moments of jaw-droppingly odd behavior -- yet I found it weirdly appealing.
– Richard Roeper,
Ebert & Roeper,
21 Oct 2002
rotten:
Hardly a nuanced portrait of a young woman's breakdown, the film nevertheless works up a few scares.
– Ed Park,
Village Voice,
22 Oct 2002
rotten:
It's a bad sign in a thriller when you instantly know whodunit.
– Peter Travers,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct 2002
rotten:
Meandering and glacially paced, and often just plain dull.