# The Intruder (2019 film)

**The Intruder** is a 2019 American psychological thriller directed by Deon Taylor and written by David Loughery, in which a married couple who buy a Napa Valley house find that its seller, a widower named Charlie Peck, refuses to let go of the property and inserts himself into their lives.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.newsofbahrain.com/epaper/06-05-2019/single/page-13.pdf)</sup> It stars [Michael Ealy](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-ealy), Meagan Good, and [Dennis Quaid](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-quaid), and was released by Sony's genre label [Screen Gems](https://www.edgepedia.org/screen-gems) on May 3, 2019.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / writer | Deon Taylor; screenplay by David Loughery<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup> |
| Lead cast | Michael Ealy (Scott Russell), Meagan Good (Annie Russell), Dennis Quaid (Charlie Peck)<sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-intruder-2019/)</sup> |
| Release | Wide theatrical release May 3, 2019 by Screen Gems<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup> |
| Box office | $35,388,976 domestic and $5,208,425 international, on an $8,000,000 production budget<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)</sup> |
| Opening weekend | $10,855,054 from 2,222 theaters, second place for the weekend<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)</sup> |
| Critical reception | 35% on Rotten Tomatoes (104 reviews) and a Metacritic score of 39 from 25 critics<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-intruder-2019/)</sup> |
| Runtime and rating | 102 minutes, rated PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality, language, and thematic elements<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)</sup> |

## Spoilers

### Plot

Scott and Annie Russell buy their dream home, an estate called Foxglove in Napa Valley, California, from Charlie Peck, a lonely widower who says he is moving to Florida to be closer to his daughter.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.shockya.com/news/2019/05/02/interview-deon-taylor-the-intruder-exclusive/)</sup> Charlie remains attached to the house, which he told them had been in his family for generations, and begins showing up and interfering in their daily lives.<sup>[5](https://www.shockya.com/news/2019/05/02/interview-deon-taylor-the-intruder-exclusive/)</sup> As his behavior turns to obsession, the couple comes to suspect he has motivations beyond a quick sale, and a violent confrontation follows.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup>

## Production and release

The film was a [Sony Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures) release under its Screen Gems label, produced by Roxanne Avent, Deon Taylor, Mark Burg, Jonathan Schwartz, and Brad Kaplan, with production companies Primary Wave Entertainment and Hidden Empire Film Group.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup> Taylor said Mark Burg sent him Loughery's screenplay, and that the story reminded him of 1990s thrillers like *[Unlawful Entry](https://www.edgepedia.org/unlawful-entry-film)*: "It's about three people in a house, as Dennis' character just kept coming back."<sup>[5](https://www.shockya.com/news/2019/05/02/interview-deon-taylor-the-intruder-exclusive/)</sup> Reviewers placed it in the home invasion tradition alongside films such as *Pacific Heights* and *[Lakeview Terrace](https://www.edgepedia.org/lakeview-terrace)*, the latter also scripted by Loughery.<sup>[6](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-intruder-2019)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/02/the-intruder-review-dennis-quaid-goes-gonzo-in-fun-silly-thriller)</sup>

It opened May 3, 2019 in 2,222 theaters, ranked second for the weekend, and ran in release through June 27, 2019.<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3490153985/?sort=perTheaterAverageGross&sortDir=asc)</sup> Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released it on digital on July 16, 2019; the Blu-ray and DVD edition includes an alternate ending, six deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette on the character Charlie Peck and the Foxglove setting, and an audio commentary with Ealy, Good, Taylor, Avent, and Loughery.<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/theintruder)</sup>

## Box office

The film earned $10,855,054 in its opening weekend, about 30.7% of its final total, and finished with $35,388,976 domestic and $5,208,425 international, for $40,597,401 worldwide against an $8 million production budget.<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)</sup> [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) lists $35,419,122 domestic and $1,180,239 international, a slightly different international split from The Numbers.<sup>[8](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3490153985/?sort=perTheaterAverageGross&sortDir=asc)</sup> Domestic grosses fell 34% in the second weekend and the film dropped out of wide release within eight weeks.<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)</sup>

## Reception

The film received largely negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 35% Tomatometer from 104 reviews, with a critics consensus that the film's "ludicrous plot robs it of suspense -- and undermines Dennis Quaid's suitably over-the-top performance"; audiences on the site were warmer, at 67% from over 1,000 ratings.<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup> Metacritic weighted 25 critic reviews to a score of 39, labeled "generally unfavorable", based on 2 positive, 15 mixed, and 8 negative reviews.<sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-intruder-2019/)</sup>

Critics disagreed over the film's register. Katie Walsh of the *Los Angeles Times* gave it 70 and called it "schlocky yet satisfying genre filmmaking that makes you jump and laugh at the same time," while [Richard Roeper](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-roeper) of the *Chicago Sun-Times* scored it 0 and called every character "irritatingly, maddeningly dumb."<sup>[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-intruder-2019/)</sup> Quaid's performance drew consistent notice even in negative reviews: the Rotten Tomatoes consensus calls it "suitably over-the-top," and Bilge Ebiri of Vulture wrote that the key pleasure of the film lies in watching him "bounce among extremes of charm, anxiety, chumminess, and madness."<sup>[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)</sup> The Guardian titled its review "Dennis Quaid goes gonzo in fun, silly thriller."<sup>[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/02/the-intruder-review-dennis-quaid-goes-gonzo-in-fun-silly-thriller)</sup>

## References

1. [The Intruder (2019), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_intruder_2019)
2. [Daily Tribune (Bahrain), May 2, 2019](https://www.newsofbahrain.com/epaper/06-05-2019/single/page-13.pdf)
3. [The Intruder Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-intruder-2019/)
4. [The Intruder (2019), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Intruder-The-%282019%29)
5. [Interview: Deon Taylor Talks The Intruder, ShockYa, May 2, 2019](https://www.shockya.com/news/2019/05/02/interview-deon-taylor-the-intruder-exclusive/)
6. [The Intruder movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-intruder-2019)
7. [The Intruder review, The Guardian, May 2, 2019](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/02/the-intruder-review-dennis-quaid-goes-gonzo-in-fun-silly-thriller)
8. [The Intruder, Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3490153985/?sort=perTheaterAverageGross&sortDir=asc)
9. [THE INTRUDER, Sony Pictures Entertainment](https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/theintruder)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2015–2019 films › Thriller and mystery films › Titles F to N*

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