Graham Krakowski is a middle-class numbers cruncher in search of a promotion and a new house. He buys a fixer-upper starter home in the Phoenix suburbs located across from a vacant lot, but things are not as rewarding as he hoped. When Graham begins moving in, he is shocked to find a homeless man in his kitchen. Intimidated, he doesn’t say anything but rather waits for the stranger to leave on his own. Graham finds the guy living in the empty lot and arranges for him to be arrested. The next day the bum is back on the street and determined to make his new neighbor’s life hell by frequently bypassing Graham’s ever-increasing home security measures and also framing him for a series of grisly murders. What follows is a darkly comic nightmare of one man’s descent into madness as his life is turned upside down and everything he knows comes into question.

The Vagrant blends elements of comedy and horror with the bones of a psychological thriller yielding mixed results. Our protagonist is a typical vanilla conservative white guy with a general fear of anything foreign to his daily routine. He is confronted with the pressures of home ownership paired with those of homelessness. Rather than help someone less fortunate, he calls the cops to have the person removed. When the vagrant proves to be a mentally unstable adversary, Graham retreats behind a state-of-the-art security system and high perimeter fence. These measures make him feel better but prove ineffective when his dense girlfriend invites the vagrant inside for a sandwich while she steps down the hall to shower.

The late, great Bill Paxton (Aliens, Near Dark) delivers another knockout performance as Graham Krakowski, a reserved Everyman who quickly finds himself in over his head. Paxton plays the material straight and proves to be quite the physical comedian. Marshall Bell (A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2) is largely unrecognizable as the titular character with his shaggy hair, tangled beard and facial scars and is clearly having fun with the role. The real surprise in the cast is the always-intimidating Michael Ironside (Visiting Hours) displaying an untapped knack for comedy as Lt. Ralf Barfuss, who suspects Graham of murder. Supporting players include Mitzi Kapture (Angel III) as Graham’s girlfriend Edie; Colleen Camp (The Seduction) as horny realtor Judy Dansig; Patrika Darbo (The ‘Burbs) as neighbor Doattie; and Mark McClure (Pandemonium) as best friend, Chuck.

Working from a script written by Richard Jefferies (Scarecrows), director Chris Walas (The Fly II) does an excellent job with the material but in various interviews refers to the production as cursed. Despite various setbacks, technical difficulties, reshoots and post-production tinkering, the film is largely entertaining, but I would love to see his original vision restored. The picture greatly benefits from the score by composer Christopher Young (Urban Legend) which successfully balances the line between comedy and horror. I was surprised to see the picture was produced by Mel Brooks (The Elephant Man, The Fly), as he continues to work outside the straightforward comedy genre.

The Vagrant is something of a mixed bag with its tone ranging from psychological thriller to broad comedy and an over-the-top final act. Paxton proves more than up to the challenge of carrying a picture, which elevated him from character actor to leading man status. Not everything works but overall I enjoyed the film and it has slowly built something of a cult following over the past thirty years. For Bill Paxton fans this is a must-see and this newly remastered edition will fit nicely in your collection.