Entertainment
The Best Harrison Ford Thriller Still Terrifies Decades Later, Stream Without Netflix
By Brian Myers
| Published
Harrison Ford might be best known for Indiana Jones and Han Solo, but the veteran actor has turned in plenty of unforgettable performances outside of those iconic roles. The 2000 thriller What Lies Beneath is one of the best examples, proving Ford could deliver a massive box office hit without cracking a whip or saving the galaxy. More than two decades later, it remains one of the most suspenseful thrillers of its era, and you can stream it without a Netflix subscription.
And Empty Nest And New Neighbors
What Lies Beneath begins with Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Norman Spencer (Harrison Ford), a seemingly happy married couple who have just sent Claire’s daughter off to college. Now an empty nester married to a busy scientist/professor, a bored and listless Claire comes off as lonely and maybe a little desperate for attention.
When new neighbors Mary (Miranda Otto) and Warren Feur (James Remar) move in next door in their lakeside Vermont neighborhood, Claire becomes convinced that Warren is abusive and has killed off his young wife.
A Ghostly Presence Lurking
After Claire notices that Mary has disappeared without a trace, she begins to experience odd things that she believes are supernatural in origin in and around her house.
At one point, she sees the face of a woman submerged under the water of the lake. Other occurrences include a framed photo being knocked over from its place on her husband’s desk, the image of a woman in her bathroom mirror, and the message “You know” written on her steamed-up mirror.
In Need Of A Sanity Check
Of course, Norman behaves just like any other science type and tries to convince Claire that she’s either imagining things or perhaps beginning to suffer a nervous breakdown.
The latter is amplified when, after a confrontation with Warren at a university party, Claire sees Mary in the flesh and realizes that her suspicions were way off base. But what happens soon after in What Lies Beneath makes Claire question her sanity even more.
What Lies Beneath takes audiences on several rides throughout its 130-minute run time. While at first you’re sure that you’re seeing a film reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock‘s Rear Window, the film pivots and changes direction entirely.
And just when you’re sure of the inner workings of Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford’s characters, the storyline fills in a lot more of the backstory of their relationship, changing the plot in the most chilling of ways.
Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer are both at the top of their game in What Lies Beneath, and it’s fascinating to watch their chemistry evolve as each new piece of the puzzle falls into place. Ford’s gradual transformation as long-buried secrets come to light is handled masterfully, while Pfeiffer convincingly evolves from a meek and lonely housewife into a woman fighting for her survival.
As of this writing, you can stream What Lies Beneath for free with ads on Pluto TV. The title can also be rented or purchased on-demand through YouTube, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime Video.
