"The 4th Floor" has a neat premise, but it seems as though the whole thing peters out early on. Maybe it's just that there have been so many movies about mysterious neighbors that this one came across as a rehash. It wants to be an homage to "Rear Window"; instead, it ends up being more of a joke. Juliette Lewis, William Hurt, Austin Pendleton, Shelley Duvall (with bleached hair!) and Tobin Bell (Jigsaw in the "Saw" movies) are wasted. As it turns out, the movie got released theatrically in Germany, but went straight to video in the US. Truth is, either they should have written a better script or not made the movie at all. Really, truly saddening.

I tuned into this late last night on Lifetime. What caught my attention was that my cable guide info button said it was starring Juliette Lewis and Artie Lange. Being a Howard Stern fan I was intrigued. I missed the first 15 minutes or so but did not hear Artie utter one line during the film. All I saw him do was spackle. Also - he gets billing over William Hurt? Not a bad flick though. I got a Single,White Female vibe from it. Big build up, little pay off but still entertaining. Austin Pendleton is always good to see. Unfortunately Shelley Duvall's acting has not improved over the years. I barely recognized her until she spoke. Pretty funny that her character's name was Martha Stewart and the 4th floor lady was Alice Cooper.

portray central characters in this film. Hurt in particular plays a pretentious weatherman, with a bow-tie, and is very amusing. Lewis plays a niece who inherits a rent-controlled apartment in the big city (NY, of course) and along the lines of "Rosemary's Baby", starts to realize there is something strange happening in the building.Some of the tenants are: Shelley Duvall, Austin Pendleton, and the locksmith Tobin Bell (always excellent, and creepy). There are some scenes reminiscent of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" as Ms. Lewis is observing the goings-on in her neighborhood- be careful of what you may find out! The movie culminates in terror, and if you have ever lived alone in a city with strange neighbors, you will enjoy this movie. Watch it on a rainy night- better than the original "When a Stranger Calls". 9/10

Although rather insignificant and anonymous, "the 4th floor" is an entertaining and well-made thriller, capable of providing you with a few modest scares and maybe even a single "jump"-moment. The premise is far from original, though. It doesn't require a lot of experience in the horror genre to see where writer/director Josh Klausner found his inspiration. The 4th floor combines elements that made films like "The Tenant", "Rear Window" and even "The Shining" legendary. But still the tension is built up carefully and with respect for the genre so I really don't feel the urge of using the lack of originality against Klausner. The headstrong and self-confident Jane (Juliette Lewis) inherits a small apartment from her late aunt and, even though there were plans for her and her lover to move in a house on the countryside together, she prefers to live in it. Almost immediately after her arrival, it becomes clear that her neighbor down below holds a grudge against her. The supposedly elderly tenant from apartment 4 begins to terrorize Jane, with steps of increasing eeriness. Jane also soon finds out that she won't get help from her other neighbors, as they're a unique collection of eccentric beings….on the verge of social misfits, actually. The character drawing of this film is pretty good and the climax – although you see it coming – is overall satisfying. The acting is pretty weak. Especially William Hurt (who plays Jane older lover and national weather-man Greg) seems to openly wonder how on earth he could have ended up in a production like this. Lewis acts like she always does (almost impossible to determine whether she likes the script or not) and exaggeratedly shows her skinny body. The supportive cast is the most interesting, as it contains a freaky role by Shelley Duval (The Shining) and Robert Costanzo as the exterminator. The 4th Floor isn't essential viewing but you certainly won't regret having seen it, neither. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of brainless suspense and cheap thrills.