"By Appointment Only" is a fast-paced and extremely well-written thriller. The war of wills is between a real estate agent named Val, who desperately needs to close her first deal, and a psychopath who is holding the owner of the house hostage.
The quick-thinking Val immediately suspects foul play when she shows the house to a client. Of course, the police will be of not help in this kind of film. Val must do everything on her own to thwart the villain.
The narrative design of the film was carefully planned in a subplot of the relationship of Val and her young son, who are still recovering from the loss of their husband/father, who committed suicide. The young son Nick is having trouble adjusting to his new school, and Val is frantically desperately attempting to earn them a living in the tough profession of real estate.
One scene in the film stands out when Val has a conference with the school principal and shares the traumatic experience of the death of her husband. Most of the film involves action within the house that is on the market. But this more subdued scene was thoughtful and well-performed by the actress, as it provided a human context for Val's situation.
The villain of the film was especially nasty, and some of the scenes were too violent. But there was an interesting depiction of the owner of the home as a stoic, retired army general and former POW. The general's resilience in refusing to given the villain his priceless coins was pivotal in giving Val enough time to save the day.
The quick-thinking Val immediately suspects foul play when she shows the house to a client. Of course, the police will be of not help in this kind of film. Val must do everything on her own to thwart the villain.
The narrative design of the film was carefully planned in a subplot of the relationship of Val and her young son, who are still recovering from the loss of their husband/father, who committed suicide. The young son Nick is having trouble adjusting to his new school, and Val is frantically desperately attempting to earn them a living in the tough profession of real estate.
One scene in the film stands out when Val has a conference with the school principal and shares the traumatic experience of the death of her husband. Most of the film involves action within the house that is on the market. But this more subdued scene was thoughtful and well-performed by the actress, as it provided a human context for Val's situation.
The villain of the film was especially nasty, and some of the scenes were too violent. But there was an interesting depiction of the owner of the home as a stoic, retired army general and former POW. The general's resilience in refusing to given the villain his priceless coins was pivotal in giving Val enough time to save the day.