A Wolf at the Door (2013) SXSW 2014

A mother turns up to her daughter's school to find out the school released the girl to her neighbor some time earlier. When asked why they tell her because she called to say that she was sick and was sending the neighbor to pick the girl up. Since she didn't call, the police begin to look for the girl. After talking to the husband they turn up his lover....and then things get weird

Based on a true story tale starts off like gang busters only to screech to a halt about 20 minutes in. What starts as a thriller becomes a series of long winded flashbacks that reveal the course of the affair and (in the closing minutes) what happened to the little girl.  The trouble with the film is that once the flashbacks start the film begins to stall as shifts gear into a domestic drama. What moved like the wind suddenly seems to take forever to get to the conclusion.  Its a choice that kills the film. I kept wanting to fast forward the film. Why do we need to see so much back story? I'm not sure. Yea the conclusion is suitably shocking, but at the same time it's power is lessened by the long slog.

I'm disappointed, this film should have had laid me low instead of bored be to tears.

I should mention that everything except the story structure is great, the performances, the craft of the film, the music, its all great....the flashbacks aren't.

I'd skip it.