Kim Basinger Fights For Her Life (and Career) In New Red-Band Trailer for While She Was Out

Posted by Rob Hunter (rob@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 26, 2008

Kim Basinger was Hollywood royalty throughout the eighties, but poor movie choices, poor real estate purchases, and a never-ending divorce battle with Alec Baldwin relegated her to the role of outsider ever since.  Her brief (and unexpected) attempt at a comeback with 1997’s L.A. Confidential might have worked had she not waited another three years before releasing a follow-up movie to the Oscar winner.  (Of course, when she finally did follow it up it was with the one-two punch of I Dreamed of Africa and Bless the Child.  What you say?  Exactly.)

This Christmas she’s returning to the thriller genre that worked pretty well for her a few years ago in Cellular.  While She Was Out stars Basinger as a troubled housewife and mother who makes a fateful decision to go shopping at the mall.  Four thugs proceed to terrorize her and chase her into a desolate forest.  Now she must use her wits, tenacity, and some handy weapons to survive the night and make it back to the mall in time for the Black Friday sales.  Check out the new red-band trailer.

The trailer starts a bit lame and slow, but that gunshot to the security guard’s head definitely perked me up.  Sure Lucas Haas is about as threatening as an Amish electric bill, and the talk of Basinger as a “spirit gone bad” is hokey as hell, and the interracial quartet of thugs is Hollywood malarkey, but the musical selection of “God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen” playing over the carnage is brilliant.  And the tagline about Basinger fighting for her life is also cool.  But the final piece that nailed this movie down as a must-see for me?  Executive produced by Guillermo del Toro!

What do you think of the While She Was Out trailer?

Read more articles by Rob Hunter