What Lies Beneath: Tie — Rewatch Index

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Podcast episode#430No. 441 overall

Movie year20002000s release

Tomatometer49%No. 103 of 128 tracked

Metacritic51View score

Roger Ebert2/4Original star rating

State of the raceThe race was tied43–43 · 3 ties

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

A playful, highly positive discussion of What Lies Beneath as a safe, spooky ghost-mystery with two huge stars, a great house, and strong rewatch value, even if the trailer spoils much of the surprise and the movie runs a bit long.

Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

In this conversation

Bill Simmons

Chris Ryan

Mallory Rubin

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

01The Harrison Ford / Michelle Pfeiffer pairing gives the movie major star appeal and chemistry. Opening minutes
02The movie works as an accessible, 'safe scary' haunted-house story. Opening minutes
03The house and Vermont setting are a major draw. About 24 min
04The movie plants many clues and red herrings that become fun on rewatch. About 24 min
05Several standout sequences are especially rewatchable, especially the dinner scene and the possession/sex scene. About 40 min

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

majorThe trailer gives away too much of the movie's suspense and twists. About 8 min
moderateThe first act is slow and front-loaded with setup. About 40 min
moderateThe ending goes a little too far with the ghost physically intervening. About 48 min
moderateSome logic and logistics don't fully hold up, especially around the murder cover-up and haunting mechanics. About 56 min

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Dinner double date

The cross-talk-heavy dinner scene functions as an info dump and clue-delivery machine.

About 40 min

Favorite

Ouija board scene

A classic spooky set-piece made funnier by the dog interrupting the moment.

About 40 min

Favorite

Possessed Claire seduction

Claire's possessed, overtly sexual behavior is treated as the film's biggest payoff and gif-able moment.

About 48 min

Favorite

Bathtub / drowning climax

The bathtub sequence is praised as disorienting and high-end horror imagery, though the finale stretches the logic.

About 8 min

mixed

Bridge / ghost confrontation

The final ghost-driven car crash is dramatic but some hosts think the ghost's physical appearance goes too far.

About 48 min

positive

Norman and Claire sex scene

Their sexual dynamic is teasingly discussed as a key part of the film's appeal, even if the movie stays restrained.

About 40 min

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed Opening minutes

Is the movie really an erotic thriller or mostly a ghost story?

Chris Ryan
It is much more of a haunted-house ghost story than an erotic thriller.

Bill Simmons
It borrows erotic-thriller energy but still feels fundamentally like safe horror.

No final agreement About 8 min

How much should the trailer spoil?

Chris Ryan
The trailer ruins suspense by revealing too much.

Speaker not identified
He may have wanted the audience to know more so they could relax and enjoy the movie.

They agreed About 40 min

Should the first act be trimmed?

Mallory Rubin
Yes, the opening is slow and could be shorter.

Chris Ryan
Yes, some setup can be removed once the twist is known.

They partly agreed About 48 min

Does the ending work?

Mallory Rubin
The final ghost appearance and physical intervention go a bit too far.

Bill Simmons
The ending is fun but maybe should not have escalated quite that much.

14 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers

very favorableHarrison FordBill Simmons: Praised as a top-tier star, extremely attractive, chemistry-heavy, and a strong villainous presence here. Opening minutes very favorableMichelle PfeifferBill Simmons: Praised as astonishingly good-looking and excellent in a confident, peak-form performance. About 16 min favorableRobert ZemeckisChris Ryan: Seen as a master technician whose choices shape the movie's suspense and visual style, though not necessarily the horniest possible approach. Opening minutes

neutralClark GreggChris Ryan: His screenplay credit is noted as surprising because the hosts know him primarily as an actor. About 24 min

neutralSarah KernochanMallory Rubin: Cited as the original story writer, with the film's paranormal basis traced to her personal experience. About 32 min

favorableJames RemarBill Simmons: Used as a red-herring figure and praised as a strong 'that guy' presence. About 24 min

favorableMiranda OttoBill Simmons: Mentioned affectionately as part of the cast and tied to Bill's love for the performance/image. Opening minutes · medium confidence

neutralDiana ScarwidBill Simmons: Mentioned as part of the movie's 'that guy/that gal' supporting-cast energy. About 24 min · medium confidence

neutralWendy CrewsonBill Simmons: Referenced as part of the movie's supporting-cast fun. About 24 min · medium confidence criticalRoger EbertChris Ryan: His negative review is cited as evidence that the movie was not critically adored. About 32 min neutralSteven SoderberghChris Ryan: Referenced for a later haunted-house perspective idea similar to this film's ghost POV. About 40 min · medium confidence neutralAdrian LyneChris Ryan: Raised as an alternate director who might have pushed the erotic elements harder. About 1:04 · medium confidence favorableBrian De PalmaChris Ryan: Suggested as a director who would have made the movie much more overtly sensual and thriller-heavy. About 1:04 · medium confidence neutralDavid FincherChris Ryan: Suggested as another director who could have turned the material into a different kind of thriller. About 1:04 · medium confidence

12 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them

Bill SimmonsLiked it

What Lies Beneath as a haunted-house movie

Argues the film is more ghost story than erotic thriller and is effective as a safe, creepy watch.

Opening minutes

Chris RyanDid not like it

The trailer

Says the trailer spoils too much, reducing suspense in the first hour.

About 8 min

Mallory RubinLoved it

Michelle Pfeiffer's performance

Treats Pfeiffer as peak, fully confident star power in the role.

About 16 min

Chris RyanLoved it

The dinner double date

Calls the dinner scene one of the film's best rewatchable stretches because it seeds clues through cross-talk.

About 40 min

Bill SimmonsMixed

Claire and Norman's sex scene

Likes the teasing sexual energy but notes the film keeps things unusually tame for the setup.

About 40 min

Mallory RubinDid not like it

The first act

Says the movie feels long in the opening stretch, especially on rewatch once the ending is known.

About 40 min

Chris RyanLoved it

Possessed Claire seduction

Thinks the possessed seduction scene is the movie's best and most gif-able moment.

About 48 min

Bill SimmonsLiked it

The Ouija board sequence

Treats it as a great spooky set-piece, helped by Cooper the dog bursting in.

About 40 min

Chris RyanLoved it

Harrison Ford as evil Norman

Believes Ford's subtle clues and eventual heel turn are one of the film's pleasures.

About 24 min

Mallory RubinMixed

The ending

Feels the final ghost intervention pushes a little too far, even if the climax remains fun.

About 48 min

Bill SimmonsLoved it

Harrison Ford

Says Ford has chemistry with everyone and could be watched for nearly any filmography marathon.

About 16 min

Chris RyanLoved it

The house / real estate

Treats the lake house as a perfect horror-movie location and major part of the film's appeal.

About 32 min

5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Erotic thriller to ghost story transition

They frame the film as shifting from 1990s erotic thriller energy into a more mainstream haunted-house mystery.

Opening minutes

Gaslighting and domestic suspense

The marriage plot is central: Claire is dismissed as unstable while Norman slowly reads as dangerous.

About 8 min

Star-image inversion

Casting Harrison Ford as the villain is treated as a deliberate subversion of his heroic screen persona.

About 16 min

Chekhov's objects and visual clues

The film's props and visual details are praised for paying off later, even if some are obvious.

About 24 min

Safe scary / family horror

They keep returning to the idea that the movie is frightening but not too frightening.

About 8 min

19 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

The film had a $100 million budget and grossed about $291 million worldwide.

About 32 min

Production note

The original story was inspired by a real paranormal experience from writer Sarah Kernochan.

About 32 min

Production note

The lake house was built from scratch in Los Angeles and multiple bathrooms were constructed for filming.

About 32 min

Production note

The film was shot during a break in the production of Cast Away using the same crew.

About 32 min

Production note

Roger Ebert gave the film a negative review, calling the ending absurd.

About 32 min

Production note

Michelle Pfeiffer had to spend hours in a bathtub for some scenes and reportedly feared water.

About 1:12

Production note

The paralysis drug is described in the movie as lasting roughly three to five seconds.

About 40 min

Fatal Attraction

Used as the benchmark for a cheating-husband comeuppance story and for bathroom-thriller comparison.

About 40 min

The Fugitive

Used to frame Harrison Ford's heroic image and the joke of casting him as the suspect here.

About 16 min

Poltergeist

Cited as a model for family-friendly scary movie energy.

About 8 min

Rear Window

Mentioned as a clear inspiration for the movie's voyeurism and suspense mechanics.

About 1:04

Vertigo

Referenced as the template for the Claire/Madison lookalike and ghost-resemblance plotting.

About 1:04

Psycho

Referenced through the Alan Silvestri score as an homage to Bernard Herrmann's music.

About 1:04

The Good Son

Brought up as a comparison for a supporting-mom type and later as a future episode pick.

About 16 min · medium confidence

The Sixth Sense

Used in a discussion of famous twist-viewing experiences.

About 8 min

Shawshank Redemption

Used to describe a first-time twist reaction and the joy of discovering famous beats blind.

About 8 min

Game of Thrones

Referenced jokingly while discussing in-the-sauna viewing and rewatching.

About 40 min · medium confidence

The Shining

Used as a comparison for a haunted nude corpse image.

About 1:12

Furious (not explicit, but the term 'Fergie the florist')

A nickname for a character archetype from another movie is used in a fantasy casting bit.

About 1:04 · medium confidence

11 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Harrison Ford as everyone's ideal movie star

Repeated riffs about Ford being irresistible, chemistry-heavy, and impossible to dislike, even when playing evil.

Opening minutes

Safe scary / family horror

They repeatedly classify the movie as spooky but not too intense, suitable for a broad audience.

Opening minutes

James Remar as 'that guy'

A recurring joke/callback about Remar's neighborhood sighting and status as the ideal red herring actor.

About 24 min

Cooper the dog

The dog is praised as an intuitive scene-stealer who senses the menace before the humans do.

About 40 min

The Horlbeck Century Club

A custom runtime/length joke used to argue the movie is a bit too long.

About 32 min

Evil Harrison Ford / not like this

The hosts keep returning to the discomfort of seeing a beloved star play a killer.

About 56 min

Bill Simmons

“two of the hottest people ever”

Opening minutes

Chris Ryan

“safe horror movie”

Opening minutes

Bill Simmons

“Harrison Ford has chemistry with a blade of grass”

About 16 min

Mallory Rubin

“The fucking trailer killed it”

About 8 min

Chris Ryan

“Possessed Claire is the best”

About 48 min

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where What Lies Beneath is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before What Lies Beneath, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.

ON THE MIC

3 voices made the call

Bill Simmons125 tracked appearances · 56 H / 64 C / 5 ties

Chris Ryan77 tracked appearances · 36 H / 38 C / 3 ties

Mallory Rubin12 tracked appearances · 4 H / 6 C / 2 ties

CATEGORY CONTEXT

How its genres lean

Horror15 movies7 H · 7 C Thriller34 movies7 H · 23 C

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