Janet (Francesca Eastwood) is a wealthy, suburban housewife who takes pride in her meticulous housework. While going about her daily tasks, she is surprised when contractor Leo (Milo Gibson) shows up at the door claiming her husband, Evan (Nestor Carbonell), hired him to install a new bathroom, complete with a clawfoot bathtub. Janet is cautious but reluctantly lets him in once Leo presents papers with Evan’s signature. Soon, they are joined by handyman Sammy (Oliver Cooper), who arrives to help Leo. “Whoa. You’ve got a nice BMI,” he tells Janet. He’s “all about nutrition” and lacks personal boundaries, as does Leo, who occasionally critiques Janet’s cooking skills and slips into places he shouldn’t be. Janet fantasises multiple times about killing Leo in violent and gory ways, while her criminal attorney friend, Tasha (Olivia Culpo), warns that she shouldn’t have let him in.
Directed by Michael Day and written by April Wolfe (who co-wrote 2019’s Black Christmas), Clawfoot is marketed as a home invasion thriller. Tonally, it’s not much of a thriller at all and builds into a black comedy, especially during the film’s last half hour. Its themes and dialogue have a satirical edge. At one point, Janet says she’s been thinking of going back to school to be a writer. “I just have so much to say. Tons, really.” It’s an amusing juxtaposition because Janet doesn’t actually say much. She appears quiet and speaks in a fairly controlled and monotone manner, which matches her clean and perfect image. Reserved people tend to have rich inner lives, but this isn’t shown in Janet’s character beyond her violent fantasies. Leo, on the other hand, is a chatty, confident, and cocky man. He’s rough around the edges and he references their class disparity multiple times.
The first 45 minutes of Clawfoot are quite repetitive. Janet is distrusting and wants Leo to leave. Leo teases her and stays put. It goes back and forth for too long, allowing the film to feel slow and somewhat boring. The score, which is loud and annoying, doesn’t help to build or maintain any tension. These factors make Clawfoot feel fairly dull and one-note. Eastwood was a revelation in M.F.A. and she delivers a fine performance here, but Gibson and Culpo dominate the screen. Gibson’s Leo is remarkably annoying, which means he must have done a good job, but it was an interesting choice to present these characters with no sex appeal (despite the fantasy pictured above). It’s fun to see two nepo babies go head-to-head in a bloody fight, but it’s disappointing that most of the violence happens off-screen, showing only the aftermath. Culpo is great in her role; she would excel in a series playing the same character, helping criminals clean up their messes.
Clawfoot might have worked better if it didn’t give away its twist in the trailer, but it was perhaps worth selling the film for what it is. Wolfe’s script sets out to subvert tropes as Janet and Tasha come together to defend themselves against these men who find themselves tied up in the basement. “Anything they can do, we can do better,” they say together, dressed to protect against blood spatter. While Janet often appears shocked, the two display the emotional detachment usually depicted in men as they set out to take care of business with the levity of a sitcom. My favourite part of the film was when Janet yells, “Not the cabernet, you fucking peasant!” to Leo, who actually obeys and grabs another bottle to throw at her. Clawfoot is nothing special, but it offers a bit of fun.
Clawfoot will be available on Digital Download from 23rd September.
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