Fine actors confined by predictable horror script in ‘Shut In’

This past year has been quite good when it comes to well-made, truly scary horror thriller films. The list is relatively long for this popular movie genre and includes such titles as “Lights Out,” “The Witch,” “Green Room,” “10 Cloverfield Lane” and “Don’t Breathe” — just to name a few.

Unfortunately, “Shut In” is not among them.

Naomi Watts plays a child psychologist who loses her husband early in the story; he’s killed in a head-on car crash as he’s driving his troubled son to boarding school. The boy, Stephen (played by “Stranger Things” star Charlie Heaton), is yet another constantly angry, angst-filled teen, who hates everything and everyone in his world. The irony, of course, is that Watts’ Dr. Mary Portman cannot apply her professional skills in a way that would help her stepson (Heaton) work through his issues.

Portman lives in a beautiful country home where she also maintains an outbuilding that serves as her office. In typical horror film style, the lovely setting is totally isolated — this time in rural New England (with rural Quebec filling in for the Northeast U.S.). The isolation is key, as is always the case for these kinds of movies — because when things begin to go wrong, help is not easily available.

The fatal auto accident that killed Portman’s husband left Stephen alive but severely injured and apparently brain-damaged and in a somewhat vegetative state. Throughout most of the film it’s not entirely clear the degree of his awareness of his surroundings — a factor that will play heavily in the eventual outcome of “Shut In.”

Along the way, Portman comes in contact with a young deaf boy named Tom, played by “Room” sensation Jacob Tremblay, whose talents are totally wasted in this project. After Portman begins treating Tom, he goes missing during a brutal winter storm and is presumed dead. Portman is deeply disturbed by his loss, and that leads her to begin thinking the weird sounds she hears in the night are his ghost haunting her and her bedridden stepson.

While Portman is very careful to take proper care of the injured Stephen — bathing him, feeding him and the rest — it’s obvious that caretaker role has taken its toll on her. Her true feelings are showcased in a heavy-handed scene indicating Portman would just as soon Stephen would die.

As Portman’s friend and mentor, Oliver Platt plays a shrink, as he does so well on the NBC series “Chicago Med.” The character’s role is basically to keep Portman from losing her mind as she deals with all the crises she feels are crashing in on her.

British TV director Farren Blackburn has given us a very predictable, unevenly paced so-called thriller, where we see all the expected surprises coming from a mile away. The joy of watching a good horror tale is to be kept on the edge of your seat by a series of plot twists that are not anticipated.

Unfortunately, you can’t say that about “Shut In.” This is a disappointing waste of good acting talent, coupled with a very pedantic and not very intriguing story from first-time screenwriter Christina Hodson.

★1⁄2

EuropaCorp presents a film directed by Farren Blackburn and written by Christina Hodson. Rated PG-13 (for terror and some violence/bloody images, nudity, thematic elements and brief strong language). Running time: 91 minutes. Opens Friday at local theaters.