The Vicious Kind (2008)

Secrets and lies unfold in a troubled family when a man develops a lustful fascination with his brother's girlfriend when the latter brings her home for Thanksgiving.
Adam Scott's performance in this deftly constructed family drama is everything I've heard it was and more. His crying scenes are as convincing as his most vicious outbursts, and Scott conveys an emotional truth that is rarely seen but always enjoyed. In many dramas we see characters say nasty things to each other, and not seconds later, they either apologize or give that regretting look, which is supposed to convey to the audience that even though this character just did something we should disapprove of, we should still like him/her. It's false and performative, but I've learned to put up with it. When the script calls for such moments, Scott's strength is he makes such moments work, incorporating them into the manically depressive nature of Caleb; other times, Scott doesn't care if we don't like Caleb.
Brittany Snow manages to be both alluring, vulnerable, and strong, while Alex Frost is perfectly douchey. And who knew that J.K. Simmons could handle drama with such emotional range and dexterity?
The script starts off very well. The ways in which information is hinted at and slowly revealed are quite deftly carried, and most of the characters are finely drawn. However, by the end of the film, there were a few bits so ridiculous that writer/director Lee Toland Krieger deliberately aimed for laughs in the most awkward places. Also, the film's penultimate moment was so subtle that it slipped into obscurity. The last ninety minutes were leading up to this moment, but we don't know enough about what goes through the character's head to get a fair idea of what happens in these characters' lives after the film has ended. The smile, if it is a smile, is too enigmatic to hinge the entire film on.
Overall, this is an excellent film with just a few minor flaws and what should be a star-making performance by Adam Scott