So this one of these "oh it is totally not like the original" deals. Naturally, if you watched the original first it is very hard to not compare it. I have no solution for that. But I haven't seen the original....yet. So I can tell you that in a vacuum this is a very good movie, very gripping. I was mostly at the edge of my seat. Gyllenhaal gives it his all. It is just him sitting at a desk and he is so good at pulling you into his world, you feel what he feels. He is one of the best actors we have and he makes this a gripping thriller/drama.