SOLITARY

Amber Jaeger and Kieron Elliott

SOLITARY (2009). Director: Greg Derochie.

Sara (Amber Jaeger) is having a lousy day, to put it mildly. She begins to suffer from panic attacks and can't leave her house, a victim of agoraphobia. Then her husband Mark (Kieron Elliott) disappears, but the police tell her he hasn't been to work for six months. Then she thinks things keep appearing and disappearing each time she turns her back; discovers she might be an heir to two million dollars; and sees Mark surreptitiously dodging around the back yard at night and even inside the house. She doesn't trust her shrink, and suspects her sister is sleeping with Mark, and becomes completely paranoid. What the hell is going on here? Some viewers might find the ending incredibly moving -- Andrew Keresztes' music certainly helps in that regard -- but others might find it irritating, a below-Twilight Zone level cop-out (and also a mite science-fictiony). In the lead role Amber Jaeger is competent enough, but she's not always up to the demands of the part. Elliott as her husband, Kristine Sullivan as her sister Gena, and Andrew Johnson as Dr. Reznik, Sara's psychiatrist, make a somewhat better impression. Brian Spangler and B. Anthony Cohen are fine as the cops on the case, and Dalton Leeb makes for a quirky repairman.

SPOILER ALERT: Dr. Reznik and Gina talk about the choices Sara has as she lays in a coma. In other words, should she wake up and face the pain of a tragic death in the family, or opt to simply pass away and avoid the anguish? Since Sara seems to be at best in her early thirties or even younger, the choice she -- and the film -- make is rather irresponsible.

Verdict: A quasi-religious suspense film that is reminiscent of Jacob's Ladder. **1/2.