Robin Williams gives a monotone performance as a radio host drawn into the murky world of a disturbed fan in The Night Listener. Unfortunately that's in keeping with a story that flattens every ounce of tension instead of building on it. Perhaps it's because Armistead Maupin (who co-adapted the script from his own novel) was ‘inspired by true events' that this thriller feels so mundane and inconsequential, and director Patrick Stettner is left fumbling in the dark.

In the early stages, Stettner successfully breeds an atmosphere of eerie uncertainty as Pete, an AIDS-afflicted youngster (Rory Culkin), tells Gabriel (Williams) a gruesome story of parental sex abuse. Something doesn't ring true, however, perhaps because he's never laid eyes on the boy. Soon enough, Gabriel begins to suspect that his guardian Donna (Toni Collette) is actually the voice on the other end of the phone.

"MUNDANE AND INCONSEQUENTIAL"

All roads lead to dead ends, in dramatic and investigative terms, after Gabriel ventures to the town where Donna and Pete supposedly live. That's partly because his reasons for getting so deeply involved are weak. Facile allusions that he wants a son of his own carry little weight. Then, when Gabriel finally meets Donna, the air of mystery is totally vanquished. The character lacks depth and, at worst, is annoying. But it's the constant tease of some profound revelation waiting just around the corner and the consistent failure to live up to that promise, which makes the whole experience frustrating and tedious. Prick your ears in the dark and you'll hear the sound of snoring.

The Night Listener is released in UK cinemas on Friday 15th September 2006.