IN COLD Creek Manor, a new suspense thriller which propels British director Mike Figgis back into the mainstream, moving house is not just a stressful, but a potential lethal experience.

Cooper Tilson (Denis Quaid) and his wife Leah (Sharon Stone) live with their two children Kristen (Kristen Stewart) and Jesse (Ryan Wilson) in the bustle of midtown New York.

Their day-to-day routines are hectic and the family barely has any quality time together.

Following a near-fatal traffic accident, Cooper and Leah pack up their possessions and transplant their lives and kids to rundown Cold Creek Manor in the country.

The property is in need of repairs and the Tilsons reluctantly hire the former owner, Dale Massie (Stephen Dorff), to oversee the work.

And so the trouble begins, firstly when they learn that Dale is an ex-con who regularly beats up his girlfriend Ruby (Juliette Lewis), and later when the children's beloved pet horse turns up dead in the swimming pool.

Without realising it, the Tilsons have invited a psychopath into their home, and now they cannot get rid of him.

The town's sheriff, Annie Ferguson (Dana Eskelson), seems powerless to stop Dale and as Cooper takes extreme measures to protect his family, so he uncovers the terrifying dark secrets of Dale's past.

Times must be hard for Mike Figgis - why else would such a talented filmmaker reduce himself to directing generic, formulaic tosh like Cold Creek Manor?

This is thriller-by-numbers as the family falls into Dale's dastardly trap then spends a good hour screaming and squealing before tackling the lunatic in a rooftop showdown that borders on farce.

Rating: 3/10