If you’ve ever scrolled through the "New Releases" section and felt like every thriller is just a recycled version of a 90s Lifetime movie, you aren't alone. It's frustrating. You want something that actually sticks in your ribs and makes you feel a little bit sick, right? Well, What Comes Around is that movie. It’s a slow-burn psychological thriller that doesn't just want to scare you; it wants to make you question every person you’ve ever met online.
Honestly, the film is a bit of a chameleon. It started its life on the festival circuit under the title Roost, which, if you ask me, is a much cooler and more metaphorical name. But by the time it hit the mainstream in 2023, it became What Comes Around. It stars Grace Van Dien—who most people recognize as Chrissy from Stranger Things—and the veteran Amy Ryan. The setup feels familiar at first, but don't let that fool you. It’s a trap.
The Plot That Feels Like a Car Crash in Slow Motion
Here is the gist. Anna (Van Dien) is a teenager who starts talking to an older guy online. His name is Eric. He says he’s in his 20s. He’s charming, he’s poetic, and he seems to "get" her in a way her mother, Beth (Ryan), doesn't. You know the drill. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Beth is a single mom who is fiercely protective, maybe a little too much, and when she finds out about this digital romance, things go south fast.
But here is where the movie What Comes Around pivots.
It isn't just a "stranger danger" PSA. When Eric actually shows up at their house, the movie stops being a teen romance and turns into a claustrophobic interrogation. The pacing changes. The air gets thin. You realize very quickly that everyone in this house is lying about something. Director Amy Redford—yes, Robert Redford’s daughter—spends a lot of time letting the camera linger on faces. You see the micro-expressions. You see the panic.
It’s about the past. It’s about how the mistakes people make in their youth don't just go away because they got older or moved to a new town. They sit. They rot. And eventually, they come home to roost. See? That original title makes way more sense now.
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Why Grace Van Dien and Amy Ryan Work So Well Together
The chemistry here isn't "mother-daughter goals." It’s "mother-daughter tension." Amy Ryan is one of those actors who can say more with a twitch of her lip than most people can with a five-minute monologue. In What Comes Around, she plays Beth with this simmering anxiety that feels incredibly grounded. She isn't a superhero mom; she’s a woman who is terrified that her past is catching up to her daughter.
Then you have Grace Van Dien. She’s great at playing that specific brand of teenage defiance where you think you're the smartest person in the room. Her performance makes the first half of the film work because you genuinely feel for her, even when she’s being incredibly naive. When the two of them are forced into the same space with Eric (played by Kyle Gallner, who is terrifyingly good at being "the nice guy" with an edge), the movie hits its stride.
Kyle Gallner is a standout here. He’s been in everything from Smile to Jennifer’s Body, and he has this uncanny ability to look totally normal while making your skin crawl. In this film, he uses that to his advantage. You aren't sure if you should pity him or run for your life. That ambiguity is exactly what makes the middle act so tense.
Breaking Down the Controversy and the Twist
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. A lot of people hated the ending.
If you go on Letterboxd or Reddit, you’ll see people arguing about whether the "big reveal" in What Comes Around actually works or if it just feels like a cheap shock. Personally? I think it’s ballsy. It takes a hard left turn that reframes everything you thought you knew about Beth’s history.
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Without spoiling the exact mechanics, the movie deals with some really heavy themes:
- The ethics of age-gap relationships.
- The fallibility of memory.
- The "victim vs. villain" dynamic.
- How trauma can be passed down like an inheritance.
Some critics felt the movie leaned too hard into "misery porn," but that feels like a lazy take. It’s a Greek tragedy dressed up as a modern indie thriller. The script, written by Scott Organ (based on his play The Roost), retains that stage-play feel. Most of the action happens in one location through dialogue. If you need explosions or car chases, you’re going to be bored. But if you like watching people mentally dismantle each other, this is your jam.
The Cinematography of Isolation
The movie looks cold. It’s set in a rural, wooded area that feels like it’s miles away from any help. The lighting is often dim, using natural light or practical lamps that cast long shadows. This isn't just an aesthetic choice; it mirrors the characters' internal states. They are literally and figuratively in the dark.
Amy Redford avoids the flashy "music video" style of many modern thrillers. There are no fast cuts. Instead, she lets the scenes breathe. Sometimes a scene goes on for three or four minutes without a single cut, which forces you to sit with the discomfort of the conversation. It’s effective. It makes you feel like an intruder in this family’s living room.
Is What Comes Around Based on a True Story?
People always ask this when a movie feels this gritty. The short answer is no. It’s based on Scott Organ’s play. However, it feels "true" because it taps into the very real anxieties of the internet age. Grooming, catfishing, and the blurred lines of consent are all over the news every single day.
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While the specific events of What Comes Around are fictional, the emotional core is based on the reality of how predators operate. They find the cracks in a family’s foundation and they wedge themselves in. The movie does a fantastic job of showing how a predator doesn't always look like a monster; sometimes, they look like a polite young man who likes poetry and knows how to listen.
Why This Movie Disappeared (And Why You Should Find It)
It’s weird, right? You have a cast this good and a director with a famous last name, yet the movie kind of came and went. Part of that was the title change. Roost had an indie mystique; What Comes Around sounds like a generic action flick you’d find in a bargain bin.
Marketing also struggled with how to sell it. Is it a horror movie? A drama? A PSA? It’s a bit of all three, and that makes for a hard 30-second trailer. But in the age of streaming, these are the kinds of movies that find a second life. It’s the perfect "Saturday night on the couch" watch because it actually gives you something to talk about once the credits roll. It isn't "easy" viewing, but it’s memorable.
Real-World Takeaways and Actionable Insights
If you’re going to sit down and watch What Comes Around, or if you’ve already seen it and you’re trying to process what happened, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the themes it explores.
- Digital Literacy is Non-Negotiable: The film serves as a stark reminder that we often share too much of ourselves online. For parents, it's a nudge to have actual, nuanced conversations with kids about digital boundaries rather than just "blocking" apps.
- The Complexity of Consent: The movie forces a hard conversation about what consent looks like when there is a massive power imbalance or a history of manipulation. It’s worth researching the work of organizations like RAINN to understand the real-world legalities that the movie dramatizes.
- Watch the Performance, Not Just the Plot: If you’re a film student or an aspiring actor, study Kyle Gallner’s performance in this. He manages to play "manipulation" without being a mustache-twirling villain. It’s a masterclass in subtlety.
- Check Out the Source Material: If the movie felt a bit "talky" to you, that’s because it’s a play. Seeking out Scott Organ’s original work The Roost can give you a better appreciation for the dialogue-heavy structure of the film.
To get the most out of the experience, try to watch it without looking at your phone. The tension is built through silence and small gestures. If you’re distracted, you’ll miss the moment the power shift happens. Once you’ve finished it, look up some of the interviews with Amy Redford regarding the ending; she has some really insightful things to say about why she chose to leave certain things unresolved. It makes the "frustrating" parts of the movie feel much more intentional.
Seek out What Comes Around on VOD or streaming platforms like Hulu or AMC+. It’s the kind of film that rewards a second viewing, especially once you know where all the bodies—metaphorically speaking—are buried.