The Ruse
⭐️⭐️

dis. Seismic Releasing and Mena Films
Releases Nationwide on Friday, May 16, 2025
Rating: R / Run Time: 100 minutes
Director: Stevan Mena
Writer: Stevan Mena
Starring: Veronica Cartright, Michael Steger and Madelyn Dundon 

“They’re using you because they couldn’t find anyone else.”

Olivia, a delightful Veronica Cartwright, is a former orchestra conductor who has built the life she always wanted. She has a beautiful home by the sea in Maine, an excess of money, and…24 hour care as she has now slipped into a form of dementia where she is unable to recall certain things and also suffers from OCD (beware of where you put that cup). One day, her home health aid Tracy, played by Kayleigh Ruller, goes missing, and Olivia needs new care. Enter Dale, relative newcomer Madelyn Dundon. Dale, whom we first meet at home jumping at the chance to prove herself to her boss and get off probation (what happened that she needs to prove herself), packs up leaving her partner Ben, played by Drew Moerlein, and heads up to Olivia’s waterfront home to begin her new job. When she meets Olivia, Olivia isn’t sure what to make of her, but she goes about her bedridden ways, asking for tea and respect from the people who work for her, and that’s all she has to say about that. Trying to acclimate, Dale settles in and begins to take care of her new patient.

Almost immediately, she meets the charming neighbor Tom, played by Michael Steger and his precocious daughter Penny in a solid debut performance by Nicola Jeanette Silber. Penny warns Dale that Olivia’s house is haunted. She has seen the ghosts walking about in the upper floors. Dale is hesitant, but she entertains Penny and goes about getting situated. Tom is helpful, he is Olivia’s emergency contact, and he has helped with work around the house. Penny avoids the house, and Dale soon begins to understand why, as Olivia even explains that her deceased husband Albert keeps coming to visit her, informing her that the concert is over and time for her to move on. Dale just listens and Olivia realizes that Dale is much nicer than the previous girls, lie Tracy. One has to wonder, what did happen to Tracy? No sooner does Olivia say this that Dale notices strange things occurring…hearing doors opening and closing…paintings are crooked on the walls…papers are scattered all over the floor, and how can this be occurring, Olivia is bedridden on oxygen tanks. She tries to ignore it, but different circumstances begin to occur and she can’t tell who is on her side. Tom? The local Detective Burke, played by Michael Bakkensen, Penny, the food delivery boy who seems to keep showing up, Jacob, played by T.C. Carter? All will out as Dale tries to solve the mystery of her predecessor, whose phone and ID were left in the house, and, try to get off work probation.   

Right off, there is a lot here. The title best describes the film. The Ruse…is…what kind of film are we making here? We think we are watching a paranormal thriller, but then it veers off course switching genres to a variant of soft horror (and not clearing up select scenes which leave several loose strands). The film starts off solid with decent chemistry between Cartwright and Dundon. They have a fairly decent rapport with Cartwright’s high pitched almost sounding like she may break out into song first tone and Dundon’s more reserved deadpan, a la Billie Lourd, but not quite as snarky as Aubrey Plaza.The haunted house premise they set up is fascinating, and could have carried the story, but, we delve into so many more characters that weren’t necessary, and shift to a murder mystery with many red herrings. Without spoiling too much, the film veers so indirectly, that we need a character to explain much of the events of the film in almost a synopsis before a very rushed climax that doesn’t feel earned. Writer/director Stevan Mena may have bitten off more than he could chew here. He wanted to create a throwback to the mystery thrillers of Agatha Christie and Hitchcock, and could have been successful if that was the direction he went from the get go, not the supernatural aspect, which again, may have been The Ruse, hiding what could have been a decent film in a mashed up one.

Where the film truly succeeds though, is Mena’s score. Having scored his own film, he was able to create pieces that evoke some of the better thrillers of yesterday, which did at times cause me to shift in my seat to better pay attention. Unfortunately, what I turned into was a provocative story with a lot of missed opportunities. Given all the checks Mena writes to get this story across, some bounce where some basically clear. All in all, this is a film we have seen before, but is worth it for a standout performance by Cartwright who gives it her all given the confined nature of her character. She earns this film the second star.