How to Deter a Robber

It's a movie that doesn't try to be more than what it is, but succeeds very well at what it's trying to do. A fun little hidden gem.

With low stakes and even lower energy, writer-director Maria Bissell's feature debut isn't sure if it's a thriller with amusing elements or a comedy of criminal absurdity.

Between its booby-trapped house that fails to spark into life and dialogue that rarely offers more than mundane squabbling between family members, How to Deter a Robber is one of those Christmas presents likely to end up in the returns pile.

There are a few surprises along the way and a twist at the end which the audience will not see coming.

a coming-of-age caper based around home invasion that creates genuine laughs in spite of a wobbly third act.

A nice little gem of a comedy.

A charming if slight coming-of-age story about an aimless high school graduate facing hard choices.

Struggling to modulate its laughs with its chills, this low-budget crime saga is an innocuous trifle that only occasionally sparks to life.

It's unique, and it's different. It's not predictable, necessarily, but it's different than some of the stuff you're going to see out there.

How to Deter a Robber is a wonderfully zany and energetic spin on the home invasion formula. It is a memorable debut, and I can't wait to see what Bissell does next.