Things Heard & Seen

Catherine Claire and her husband George leave Manhattan for a sprawling old house in a quiet upstate town hoping for a fresh start. Almost from the move, Catherine is haunted by strange sounds and small signs that something in the home resists being known. Walls creak with whispered histories, a painting seems to look back, and a neighbor named Willis raises questions with her own odd attunements. As the couple settles, it becomes clear that the manor keeps its own secrets and that George is not what he appears to be. The secrets threaten to upend the life they hoped to build together. Whispers thread through the rooms and an attic presence hints the house recalls every choice they make.

Directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, Things Heard & Seen adapts Elizabeth Brundage's novel with a Gothic mood. It arrived on Netflix in 2021 after a brief limited theatrical run in select markets.

Critics offered mixed responses, praising Amanda Seyfried and James Norton for their tense performances while noting the film's careful build of atmosphere. The story probes themes of marriage under strain, the allure and danger of remote living, and how buried pasts can redefine a present relationship.

This Netflix thriller sits among contemporary Gothic thrillers that favor mood over gore, delivering eerie quiet moments and practical scares. While not groundbreaking, it contributes to conversations about home as sanctuary and trap, and the way secrets reshape a couple's shared reality.