Critic Reviews

• Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

  It's a bitter pill to swallow, featuring a quartet of unsympathetic characters and an unrelenting air of misanthropy.

• Lou Lumenick, New York Post

  One of those potentially interesting movies that takes its sweet time getting to the point -- by which time many audience members will likely have bailed out or dozed off.

• Stephen Holden, New York Times

  The characters are so dislikable that not much seems to be at stake.

• Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

  A diabolically clever psychological suspense movie.

• Mark Holcomb, Village Voice

  Unlike its Hollywood kin ... this scene from the class gurgle has the courage of its convictions -- which are misanthropic enough to make Neil LaBute wince.

• James Berardinelli, ReelViews

  For anyone who doesn't mind being exposed to something a little dark and unsettling, Cleopatra's Second Husband offers 90 minutes of intriguing cinema.

• Ron Wells, Film Threat

  It becomes a quite interesting tale of co-dependency, and the illusions of control people can construct in their lives.

• Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

  A tough thriller to find enjoyable or completely satisfying no matter how well crafted the story is by writer-director Jon Reiss ...

• Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Examiner

  A weakly performed rehash of master-slave role-reversal tales like The Servant.

• MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher

  Illogical, unentertaining, and downright unappetizing, this is a miserable attempt at black comedy that succeeds in neither making us hate, love, nor even feel sorry for its mischief makers.

• Bilge Ebiri, Citysearch

  Jon Reiss's script has trouble finding its footing, and the plot progresses in awkward jerks.

• Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews

  The story is so oddly executed that it frequently seems weird for weirdness' sake.

• Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews

  Paul Hipp ... garners no sympathy from the viewer as he allows, without reason, everyone to walk over his emotions and needs.

• , E! Online

  The execution of [Reiss's] nightmare ultimately moves too slowly to make this late-blooming freak-out worth waiting for.

• Dave White, IFilm

  Brutality, poison, torture and other rainy-day fun rules the day and makes this somewhat derivative film an unhinged, sicko treat to watch.

• Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide

  The transition isn't as smooth as it might be, but Reiss ... pulls it off better than you might expect, and Robert's revenge is genuinely chilling.

• Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews

  Shot in a house in an 18-day shoot, it still backs the wallop of a movie with much bigger stars and budget.

• Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

  Startling in its originality, and while it's only 93 minutes long, the movie feels epic in its scope, thanks to all the twists and turns.

• Elias Savada, Nitrate Online

  Taking a branch off the (early) Neil LaBute tree of filmmaking, Jon Reis has planted a fashionably disturbing offshoot, fertilized with heavy doses of "Rod-Serlingesque" irony

Read all 19 critic reviews