Jean and Guy Cooley (Julie Delpy, Justin Theroux) are young parents, desperate to escape the perils of city life after a terrible accident takes the life of their youngest daughter. They soon find, after moving into their new country home and setting up a windmill business, that the perils of rural life can be just as deadly.

Before long, Jean learns of the local legend of Lucy Keyes, a little girl who went missing in woods near the Cooley home, some 250 years ago. Lucy's mother never ended the search for her daughter and, having gone quite mad, killed whomever came onto the property. Jean becomes convinced that she can hear Mrs. Keyes calling out for her missing child and that she haunts the land. However, things may not be what they seem — the leader of the City Council, a woman (Brooke Adams) who may or not be in favor of the Cooley's windmill farm, is the one providing most of the details of the legend to Jean.

The acting is decent, but everyone seems bored with their roles. The music tries, but doesn't rally any suspense, even during the quick-cut dream sequences. As far as the look and feel of the movie, it's all very safe: Nothing is terrible, but nothing great either. Playing it safe in a horror movie just doesn't work.

The Legend of Lucy Keyes feels like a very bland Lifetime or Family Channel movie, but it's made to look like a scary thriller along the lines of The Exorcism of Emily Rose or An American Haunting. Don't let the DVD cover fool you — in the end, nothing pans out but a few decapitated pig heads and an hour and half of your wasted time.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson