Evan M. Wiener's screenplay throws in too many disparate elements without developing any of them very effectively, while Grau's direction is slick but unable to provide the tension or consistency needed.

A promising setup is left to wither in the intense Albuquerque sun permeating "Big Sky," a slack agoraphobic thriller marking the English-language debut of Mexican filmmaker Jorge Michel Grau.

The film rests on the attractive but opaque Ms. Thorne, who is not ready for such weight.

The plot is entirely too underdeveloped and all the characters suffer from its neglect. A hard movie to sit through.