The Glass House is a highly effective and suspenseful thriller set within a traditional context and resulting in a predictable outcome.
Ruby Baker (Leelee Sobieski) has just lost her parents to a car accident. She and her brother Rhett (Trevor Morgan) are taken in by Erin (Diane Lane) and Terry Glass (Stellan Skarsgard). At first, the Glasses seem to be benevolent, but Ruby slowly uncovers the sinister truth about them.
All of the things that Ruby uncovers can be telegraphed way ahead in advance: Ruby and Rhett have a huge trust fund left to her by her parents. The parents were supposed to have been drinking heavily and died while driving Terry Glass' BMW. Terry appears to be way too friendly with Ruby and constantly argues with a couple of thugs about money. Erin is injecting herself with "insulin". It doesn't take a smart person to figure out what happens next.
It is the way The Glass House is made that makes it worth watching: The atmosphere and the pacing in the film is tight. The suspense level is high, but since we know what's going to happen, it isn't completely chilling. Leelee Sobieski does a good job of being the lone person who seeks to uncover the truth while no one (including her brother, her lawyer, and a social services worker) believes her. Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgard are aptly cast and make a believable transition from nice to nasty.
The Glass House is an okay movie and a decent timekiller, once you past the misleading opening sequence. Worth renting.