Movie Review: The Owners

credit: The Owners

After her time in Game of Thrones, it was wondered by a lot of people what Maisie Williams would be doing since her career was still rising in a big way, and she’d become a favorite of many fans. But The Owners is one of those movies that many might think is a bit of a stumble since her time as Arya Stark was considered one of her best roles. This movie had the creep factor to it, but something still felt missing throughout the feature. From the opening to the ending, this movie is something that needs to be given the type of attention that is just enough to know what’s going on. In terms of horror, it reminds viewers that the strongest and the most devious aren’t always the victors, and youth doesn’t always trump experience and cunning. The four young folks in this movie learn that lesson in a painful manner that is fitting, considering their actions. 

credit: The Owners

Things start out kind of slowly. 

The story starts simply as three young men are seen scoping out a house in the countryside owned by a doctor and his wife, an elderly couple that doesn’t appear capable of causing any trouble. When Mary, played by Williams, shows up to berate one of the young men, Nathan, her boyfriend, they eventually decide to invade the home and take or ransack anything they want. The young man that knew about the home, Terry, is kind of a simp, as many should be able to tell, as he gets no respect from Nathan, Mary, or their lanky and weasel-faced companion, Gaz. When the three break in, Mary hangs back, unable to leave since Nathan has the keys. When they call for her to enter the house, she comes reluctantly but eventually enters the home. But of course, as the audience knows, this is a huge mistake. 

Things go from bad to worse in a very messed-up way.  

Once the doctor and his wife arrive home, Gaz and Nathan are ready and prepared to threaten the wife, so the husband will do anything they want. The safe wall they find in the house is challenging in a way that defeats their best efforts, as it appears to be soundly made and more challenging than they were anticipating. Whatever else they find in the house doesn’t appear to be worth much, and after tooling around for a bit, it would appear that the three men start to lose hope that they’ll find anything to make the trip worthwhile. The safe is still a point of interest, but once the couple returns home, things get deadly very quickly as Gaz and Nathan do their best or worst to try and gain the combination to save. Strangely enough, the doctor can keep things on the verge of getting worse before Nathan and Gaz finally get in a fight, whereupon Gaz stabs Nathan and makes things even worse. 

credit: The Owners

The story is one of many that gets stranger and stranger as things move along. 

At one point, it’s discovered that the doctor recognizes Mary and Terry as he knew them as children. This gives a very creepy feeling to the story since it means that the couple has known many young individuals within the area for a long time, or known of them at least. When more exposition is given, when it’s stated that the couple’s daughter and how she died, and how many young women have gone missing in the area over the years, the dangerous vibe that was already being put off continues to intensify as Terry and Mary find themselves at the mercy of the couple. Unfortunately, Terry, who is enamored of Mary and was dating her twin sister before she disappeared, begins to side with the couple, leaving Mary alone. After gaining the upper hand for a short time and finding the opportunity to steal the couple’s car, Mary is shot by Terry, hiding in the backseat. 

The twist at the end almost makes it worth it, but not quite. 

This movie is tough to follow, not because of the content, but because it’s not all that exciting or intriguing, given that the acting feels choppy and disconnected. The exposition is delivered in a manner that feels kind of stiff. It wasn’t a horrible movie, but it wasn’t one of the best. Maisie Williams is still considered a big star, but it goes without saying that she might be better off acting in movies and shows filled with a bit more drama and action. 

If nothing else, the ending was kind of amusing in a dark sort of way.