It's not surprising this turned out well, given Kathryn Bigelow’s track record; she hasn’t made a single film that I couldn’t at least get through, and the nineties were clearly her peak period. The direction is evident in the acting – Silver gave a notably strong performance, and Curtis demonstrated her ability to handle dramatic roles, showing she's capable of more than just playing terrified characters. It was particularly impressive because Ron Silver usually only gives passable performances, at best. Ultimately, it’s still what it appears to be: another tense thriller in a crowded field. However, this one has a certain quality thanks to the excellent acting and surprisingly realistic lighting for a film with such a low budget. Honestly, with anyone else directing, this could have been a poor movie, but Bigelow really pulled it off.

Source on TMDB