Movie

Masquerade (2021)

Many home invasion-themed thrillers feature female antagonists, but this recent release is a standout. There are two contrasting villainesses: a sympathetic burglar and a mysterious woman who may be a criminal mastermind. Both women dress all in black and wear fencing masks for a good portion of the film, and there’s also a great (though confusing) plot twist to wrap things up.

The initial setup is simple and familiar. A young girl named Casey (Alyvia Alyn Lind) is at home with her babysitter Sofia when two masked intruders break in to steal precious paintings. The burglar in charge is male, and his nasty streak is established when he bludgeons Sofia to death while a terrified Casey watches from upstairs. The girl flees and proves a surprisingly elusive quarry to track. After a few tense moments – notably when Casey hides behind a standing mirror – the child takes refuge in the attic.

Where are Casey’s parents while all this is going on? Art broker couple Daniel (Austin Nichols) and Olivia (Mercia Monroe) are on their way home from an influential society gathering. Masks are a common theme, so this was a masquerade event of some description. A waitress named Rose kindly offered the brokers a lift, but she seems in league with the art thieves.

Despite a slow first half and limited locations, things intensify when the brokers arrive home and Rose masks up to join the party. Casey is still in danger but gaining in confidence, and things are about to get bloody – and mind-boggling – before the end.

Villainesses

Rose (Bella Thorne), Woman (Skyler Samuels)

During the opening half-hour, the masked female thief searches for Casey. The woman is more sympathetic than her male counterpart, and she shows distaste at the brutal murder of Sofia. The thief plays a deadly game of hide and seek with Casey, making threatening comments that have little impact. After the girl falls through the attic roof and gives herself away, the burglars spend another ten minutes finding the access point. Then it’s the masked woman’s job to deal with Casey while the male intruder handles the parents.

To get close to the girl, the woman agrees to a request to remove her mask. Don’t expect a great reveal here – this is a character we haven’t seen before. In fact, the female thief is never referred to by name and is simply called “woman” in the credits. She comes across as concerned and is believable when she makes a promise not to harm Casey. However, those efforts are undone when Casey hears a commotion downstairs and jumps through the weak floor to relative safety.

Once again, Casey is effective at hiding and fixes a makeshift splint for her broken ankle. The male thief is angry at his female accomplice for removing her mask, and she has a mental breakdown in the last act. Eventually, Casey finds a revolver and confronts the man while he’s stealing artwork. During the exchange that follows, the female is shot through the mask (and eye). The masked male then turns the gun on Casey and shoots her. Masquerade certainly isn’t a film for anyone squeamish.

Before all this, Rose discusses artworks (and masks) with the brokers. She drops the facade when the couple arrive home, then dons a black outfit and fencing mask of her own. Rose surprises Olivia and ties her up before confronting Daniel. This is a brutal encounter involving torture and threats. By the time the leather-clad villainess has finished with her captive, he’s a bloody wreck and capitulates to Rose’s demands to provide the safe combination.

Then comes the big reveal, which culminates in the male thief taking off his mask to reveal… a younger Daniel. Meanwhile, Rose unmasks, and the older Daniel clearly recognises her. Yes, there are two separate home invasion plots going on, and Rose is actually a grown-up Casey-Rose. This twist is a cheat, since there’s no overall framing device. Two narratives in different time periods unfold in parallel, and similar events (noises, parents attacked) happen in both timelines at just the point they need to.

In retrospect, there are clues such as the two thieves and Rose never meeting and the parents not being concerned about their daughter’s safety. That’s because their real little girl – not Casey, remember – is with a childminder who is Sofia’s sister. Who is Rose’s accomplice, and it was her she spoke with on the phone, not the art thieves.

Getting all this? If not, there’s a convenient Usual Suspects-style montage that revisits key dialogue lines that now take on a whole new meaning. Plus some extra scenes, such as Rose tracking down the brokers, plotting her revenge, and doing surveillance. As for Daniel and Olivia, their fate is left ambiguous, and we’re treated to a shot of Casey aging into Rose to clarify what the hell just happened.

Honourable Mention: Home Invasion Movies

Home Invasion (2016) – Victoria Knox (Kyra Zagorsky)

Take one guess what this movie is about. The unimaginative title doesn’t generate high expectations, but production values are reasonable for a direct to video / streaming film. There’s a decent cast to add some quality. Natasha Henstridge is Chloe, a woman trapped at home with her teenage son when three masked mercenaries come calling. Her best friend doesn’t last long, though the “start the story in the middle” opening means the poor woman gets some pre-mortem dialogue later.

Victoria’s mask is the worst of the bunch, barely covering her face. However, it’s only a temporary measure while the mercs take out the security cameras. The obvious ones, anyway. Turns out the baddies have already killed Chloe’s mysterious husband, but not before he converted the house into a private fortress with hidden surveillance. With the cops trapped across a sabotaged bridge, Chloe’s only ally is an experienced security dispatcher (Jason Patric).

The primary villain is Heflin (martial arts star Scott Adkins), who disappointingly doesn’t do much fighting. Since the main character is female, the job goes to his lieutenant, Victoria. Before the inevitable catfight with Chloe, the villainess strips down to a sleeveless leather top and patrols the rainy exterior. Victoria comes across as trigger-happy and gets the action she craves when she tosses a stun grenade to subdue the elusive Chloe. The mother / son team has a tough fight, but eventually takes Victoria down with a shovel. Being heroes, they only tie her up and don’t kill her, which means she’s not done yet.

What are these mercenaries after? An item the husband stole from Heflin and locked in a hidden safe. That’s all we ever find out. When the robbers cannot breach the security, Victoria – now free from her restraints – threatens Chloe’s son at knifepoint, hoping the wife knows the combination. That seems unlikely, but these guys aren’t that smart.

The finale has Victoria chase the boy outside, only to be run over by the car he’s driving. A bland death scene, and the main villain’s isn’t much better. Guess they weren’t going for originality.