On the surface, the Smiths are an average American family, with a happily married mother and father, a moody 16-year-old daughter, and a distracted 18-year-old son. But patriarch Matt Smith appears a bit on edge, and the family is eerily damaged by something in its past. One night when a sweet-talking preacher carrying a briefcase arrives at their home after his car is disabled on a nearby road, it seems like this Christian man's presence may be just the breath of fresh air the family needs. But are the Smiths are ready for the atonement this neighborly guest has in store?

This creepy thriller, set in the deep woods of Texas suburbia, moves at a steady pace and culminates in an unexpected reckoning of the family's dark and horrific past. The ensemble cast of newcomers helps keep the story taut with suspense, while first-time director/writer Philip Gelatt creates a haunting portrait of a family that may not deserve to escape its sins.

Philip Gelatt and Philip Gelatt