The Plumber

On the surface, a young couple sharing a campus flat find their quiet routine upended by a strange visitor. A quirky plumber arrives to fix the bathroom, yet his visits spill into unsettling mind games that invade the couple's privacy. What starts as routine repairs quickly feels orchestrated, as the intruder slips into their daily life with calculated politeness and increasingly bizarre demands. The tension is built through quiet dialogue, suspicious glances, and claustrophobic set pieces that turn a familiar home into a maze of misdirection. The film laces satire with suspense, leaving viewers unsure where humor ends and menace begins. The odd humor also sneaks in, keeping the tension off balance.

Released in 1979 as a television movie, The Plumber was directed by Peter Weir with a story by Harold Lander. Weir, later known for Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli, brings a patient atmospheric approach to genre bending.

Critics generally regard the film as a restrained blend of humor and menace, using a campus setting to probe limits between safety and intrusion. It examines how everyday routines can become weapons when power shifts from the couple to a calculated outsider, relying on performance rather than spectacle to unsettle.

While not a household classic, The Plumber stands out for showing Peter Weir at work in a TV film and for pairing dry wit with a creeping sense of dread. It marks an early example of his ability to fuse genre elements and mood on a modest budget.