The film begins as an unyielding look at a battered wife, and ends as another one of those thrillers where the villain toys with his victim and the audience.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
Julia Roberts, a beauty who can also act, is one of the best things in recent movies. By my count she hasn't made a really good movie yet.
– Peter Travers,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2001
rotten:
Tacky.
– Stephen Garrett,
Time Out,
24 Jun 2006
fresh:
Roberts is terrific in a layered part. Anderson brings an edge to the nice-guy-next-door role, and the dark, dashing Bergin is chillingly twisted.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
8 Feb 2008
rotten:
It's the sort of movie where all of the characters and plot moves (if one wants to call them that) are tailored to the thriller mechanics and have no existence apart from their crude functionality.