There's not much here for Horror fans as this is more of a Drama with an edge. There were a few creepy moments, usually consisting of something lurking in the background just slightly out of focus (this has become such a cliché, but it's still usually effective). One of the problems this movie has is that I'm not certain it's going to find an audience that will really like it. I chose to watch it because of its menacing poster art with vines rising out of the water, surrounding Ricci's character. I thought it was going to be a creature-feature, not a psychological drama. The people who would really enjoy this Drama are not going to choose this based on how it's being marketed. I think it's a big mistake.

This movie looks good, especially the pretty shots of the desert, fields and the eerie looking pond. The "monster" is mostly well-executed, too. Christina Ricci (as "Laura") is the best thing about this movie. She's terrific as she tries to make a better life for her son, yet you can see how she starts to reach the end of her rope. The scene where she gets feisty with her boss is satisfying. Shortly after that, she becomes enchanting, or as the Legionnaire calls her, "like an angel". Her '50s dresses, hairstyle, and her overall beauty are wonderful.

The boy who played the character of Cody was not a great choice. Ricci is so talented that the boy was just not the right caliber of actor.[spoiler] The fact that the monster that escorts Cody to the afterlife is his grandmother is a head-scratcher. The photo that Laura has of her grandmother and the car is clear enough, but why was her grandma the beast in the water? Maybe I missed it or maybe it wasn't explained. Did her grandma die in a water-related crash?!? There were a few other things that were just odd behavior. Like when Laura comes face-to-face in the house with the monster and the next day, plans to hold a birthday party for Cody...IN THE HOUSE! At times, it seemed like the sets contained items that didn't really fit the '50s décor or styles. This might have been a conscious choice given the reveal that occurs later.[/spoiler]

Overall, I liked this but was disappointed that it was not the creature-feature, Horror film I thought it was going to be.