Review: In 'The Nest,' Jude Law and Carrie Coon are outstanding as a couple in a crumbling marriage

Given its enigmatic title and the creepy English mansion where much of the action happens, one might assume “The Nest” was a horror movie — but it’s the emotional violence of a marriage reaching the breaking point that makes this drama so heart-stopping.

It’s the height of the go-go ‘80s, and the O’Hara family seemingly has everything they could want. Rory (Jude Law), the father, is a successful financial wheeler-dealer in New York. His wife, Allison (Carrie Coon), trains horses and teaches people to ride them. They have a 10-year-old son, Ben (Charlie Shotwell), and Rory treats Allison’s teen daughter, Samantha (Oona Roche), like his own.

One day, though, Rory tells Allison — and “tells” is the key here, this being the ‘80s — that they should move to London, where Rory sees a sales opportunity that could earn them a fortune. Soon, the family packs up for the U.K., where Rory has already rented a massive old stone house with more rooms than they can ever use. Rory hires contractors to build a stable, buys Allison a horse and a mink coat, and sets Samantha and Ben in ritzy schools.

It doesn’t take long for Allison to suss out that Rory’s grand scheme isn’t coming together as he had promised. We see what Allison doesn’t, which is that Rory’s plan involves convincing his boss (Michael Culkin) to sell the firm he spent decades building to some American corporate raiders.

Writer-director Sean Durkin — helming only his second feature after his stunning 2011 debut, the cult-survivor drama “Martha Marcy May Marlene” — establishes his characters and their relationships with swift, telling gestures and an economy of dialogue. Whether it’s the routine of Rory bringing Allison her morning coffee or the way Allison stashes a wad of cash where Rory can’t find it, Durkin creates entire lives with small moments. 

When the moments get bigger, Law and Coon are up to them. They give powerhouse performances as a couple falling apart — as Allison tires, at long last, Rory’s self-aggrandizing patter and empty promises. Their fireworks ignite “The Nest,” raising the emotional tension to compelling heights.

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‘The Nest’

★★★1/2

Opening Friday, September 18, in theaters where available. Rated R for language throughout, some sexuality, nudity and teen partying. Running time: 107 minutes.