The Cry of the Owl
1st Golden Reel Awards
1 Nomination
Director: Chris Evans
Writer: D.R. Cobb
Based on the book by Patricia Highsmith
Cast:
Chris Evans .... Robert Forester
Emma Watson .... Jenny Thierolf
Alden Ehrenreich .... Greg Wyncoop
Haley Bennett .... Nickie
Plot: Following a painful divorce from his wife Nickie (Haley Bennett), Robert Forester (Chris Evans) leaves New York and moves to Langley, Pennsylvania, a small town, where he develops an obsession from Jenny Thierolf (Emma Watson). He spies on her through her kitchen window, enjoying her temperament as she goes about her daily chores. One night, Nickie catches Robert watching her, but instead of being upset, she invites him inside where they talk.
Jenny sees their chance meeting as an act of fate and breaks off her engagement to hot-tempered Greg Wyncoop (Alden Ehrenreich), who resentfully begins spying on the pair to learn more about Robert so as to find a way to get even with him. Greg meets with Nickie, Robert's ex-wife, and she encourages him to find a way to punish her ex-husband. During the next weeks, Jenny pursues Robert, contacting him at his home and at his job at Langley Aeronautics. Robert is offered a promotion at work that requires him to relocate to Philadelphia, and he hopes this will put an end to Jenny's advances, which are making him increasingly uneasy.
One night, Greg starts a fight with Robert that ends when Robert knocks Greg unconscious along a river bank. When Greg is reported missing, the police suspect Robert has murdered him, though Robert in fact was the victim of Greg's attack and had last seen Greg alive. The police have their suspicions about Robert confirmed when Robert's former wife Nickie tells them that Robert once threatened her with a weapon. After a newspaper publishes an article about the case, Robert's promotion is withdrawn. A badly decomposed body is found in the river and the police suspect it is Greg's, but the identification proves difficult. Jenny quickly decides that Robert has murdered Greg, that Robert represents death and commits suicideNickie's new husband Ralph Jurgen informs Robert that Greg is alive, that Greg and Nickie have staged Greg's disappearance in order to frame Robert.
Greg attempts to shoot Robert, but instead wounds a bystander. The police place Robert in protective custody, and Greg threatens him again. Soon after, Robert is informed that Greg has been picked up by the police, and that it was Nickie who paid Greg to pretend to be dead to get him in trouble.
When Robert drives to Jenny's house to collect some things, he is met by Nickie and Greg. Nickie tries to persuade Robert to tell the police that she had nothing to do with setting him up, and warns him of an enraged and drunken Greg. Greg attacks Robert with a knife; in the subsequent fight, Greg is knocked unconscious, but not before he accidentally stabs Nickie. Robert is again left as a suspect in an apparent crime scene.
1 Nomination
- Best Actress - Emma Watson
Director: Chris Evans
Writer: D.R. Cobb
Based on the book by Patricia Highsmith
Cast:
Chris Evans .... Robert Forester
Emma Watson .... Jenny Thierolf
Alden Ehrenreich .... Greg Wyncoop
Haley Bennett .... Nickie
Plot: Following a painful divorce from his wife Nickie (Haley Bennett), Robert Forester (Chris Evans) leaves New York and moves to Langley, Pennsylvania, a small town, where he develops an obsession from Jenny Thierolf (Emma Watson). He spies on her through her kitchen window, enjoying her temperament as she goes about her daily chores. One night, Nickie catches Robert watching her, but instead of being upset, she invites him inside where they talk.
Jenny sees their chance meeting as an act of fate and breaks off her engagement to hot-tempered Greg Wyncoop (Alden Ehrenreich), who resentfully begins spying on the pair to learn more about Robert so as to find a way to get even with him. Greg meets with Nickie, Robert's ex-wife, and she encourages him to find a way to punish her ex-husband. During the next weeks, Jenny pursues Robert, contacting him at his home and at his job at Langley Aeronautics. Robert is offered a promotion at work that requires him to relocate to Philadelphia, and he hopes this will put an end to Jenny's advances, which are making him increasingly uneasy.
One night, Greg starts a fight with Robert that ends when Robert knocks Greg unconscious along a river bank. When Greg is reported missing, the police suspect Robert has murdered him, though Robert in fact was the victim of Greg's attack and had last seen Greg alive. The police have their suspicions about Robert confirmed when Robert's former wife Nickie tells them that Robert once threatened her with a weapon. After a newspaper publishes an article about the case, Robert's promotion is withdrawn. A badly decomposed body is found in the river and the police suspect it is Greg's, but the identification proves difficult. Jenny quickly decides that Robert has murdered Greg, that Robert represents death and commits suicideNickie's new husband Ralph Jurgen informs Robert that Greg is alive, that Greg and Nickie have staged Greg's disappearance in order to frame Robert.
Greg attempts to shoot Robert, but instead wounds a bystander. The police place Robert in protective custody, and Greg threatens him again. Soon after, Robert is informed that Greg has been picked up by the police, and that it was Nickie who paid Greg to pretend to be dead to get him in trouble.
When Robert drives to Jenny's house to collect some things, he is met by Nickie and Greg. Nickie tries to persuade Robert to tell the police that she had nothing to do with setting him up, and warns him of an enraged and drunken Greg. Greg attacks Robert with a knife; in the subsequent fight, Greg is knocked unconscious, but not before he accidentally stabs Nickie. Robert is again left as a suspect in an apparent crime scene.
BOX OFFICE
Budget: $36,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $57,104,022
Foreign Box Office: $51,158,656
Total Profit: $8,769,207
Domestic Box Office: $57,104,022
Foreign Box Office: $51,158,656
Total Profit: $8,769,207
REVIEWS
"Overall, it's the kind of technically proficient, deliberately paced, grim sleepwalk that leaves one cold rather than cracked open." - Bruce Vickers, Baltimore Sun
"Chris Evans shows a lot more promise as a director here than he did with his debut 'Before We Go'. He also shows growth as a dramatic actor." - Sean Williamson, Toronto Star
"To his credit, director-star Chris Evans avoids the absurd twists and abrupt jolts audiences have come to expect from thrillers, instead maintaining a slow, deliberate burn." - Ben Bernard, New York Times
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language and violence.
Filming Locations:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Rupert Wyatt and Mark Romanek met with the studio about directing the film before Chris Evans requested the chance to direct the film himself.
- Elisabeth Moss was the first choice for the role of Nickie, but turned the role down in favor of Invisible Monsters
- Elisabeth Moss was the first choice for the role of Nickie, but turned the role down in favor of Invisible Monsters