It's very unusual for a conflict between a house-owning couple and a strange tenant to provide the plot for a psychological thriller but in "Pacific Heights", that's exactly what happens. This set-up is initially intriguing but soon takes on a darker complexion as it gradually becomes apparent just how sinister and dangerous the newest occupant of the house really is. The tension then builds steadily as the conflict becomes increasingly intense and the stakes get higher. Drake Goodman (Matthew Modine) and his girlfriend Patty Palmer (Melanie Griffith) are an ambitious middle-class couple who decide to buy a Victorian house in the Pacific Heights neighbourhood of San Francisco. They both know that the property is really beyond their means, but after massaging some of the figures on their mortgage application, they soon become the proud owners of the impressive house which also needs some renovation work which they decide to undertake themselves. The financial commitment they've taken on is only sustainable if they let the two downstairs apartments and so arranging for this to be done becomes a priority. A very pleasant Japanese couple soon move into one of the apartments and among the applicants for the second one is a well-dressed, smooth-talking, charmer called Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton). Drake is so impressed by Hayes (who carries a large amount of cash with him and drives a Porsche) that he doesn't insist on him completing a credit application. Hayes promises that he'll pay six months rent in advance and that he'll arrange for this to be done by wire transfer. Before any money is actually paid, Hayes moves into the apartment and after a great deal of stalling, refuses to pay any rent. Things get progressively worse when Hayes moves a friend in and starts hammering and drilling loudly at all times of the day and night. The couple get anxious about what's being done inside the apartment and the Japanese couple move out because the disturbance they suffer through the nights is intolerable, as is the plague of cockroaches which suddenly infests their apartment. Drake stops Hayes' drilling by cutting off the electricity but this action gets him into trouble with the police and later, his efforts to get Hayes evicted also fail because the law always seems to be on the tenant's side. A series of further provocations continue to pile pressure on the couple whose relationship suffers as Drake starts to drink too much and Patty suffers a miscarriage. They feel totally powerless until some action that Patty takes gives her an opportunity to get rid of Hayes but what happens later isn't necessarily what she would've hoped for or expected. Michael Keaton is a tremendous villain and utterly convincing as the psychopathic scam artist who's an expert at acquiring properties by unorthodox means and at very favourable prices. Melanie Griffith also does really well as Patty who is far more rational and intelligent than her partner and who also provides some of the most enjoyable moments of the movie when she decides to turn the tables on Hayes. Matthew Modine also gives an energetic performance as the hot-headed, impulsive and not-very-bright Drake whose actions regularly do more harm than good. "Pacific Heights" is entertaining, less predictable than many thrillers and definitely not "run of the mill". It's these qualities together with the performances of Keaton and Griffith that ultimately make this such an enjoyable movie to watch.

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source: Pacific Heights

I saw a few people asking in other comments whether the law would really allow Keaton's character to do what he did. The short answer is no. First of all, Keaton never signed a lease; thus a landlord/tenant relationship was never formed and Keaton would have been deemed a trespasser and Modine could have brought an ejection action immediately and had Keaton out w/in weeks (at the most). Even if Keaton's character was deemed a tenant, Modine could have brought an ejection action for the unpaid rent. The ejection proceedings would have been summary (i.e. very limited) and Keaton would only be able to adduce landlord negligence or violations of the warranty of habitability (i.e. unhealthy conditions) as a defense -- the only thing that would allow him to stay w/o paying rent. Otherwise, Keaton would get the boot from the sheriff.

The Film is About Two Couples Has Just Moved in a Victorian Apartments Located in San Francisco And They Happen Become To Apartment Renters But Apprenly There Lives Are About To Change One Day a Strange Looking Man Who Happens To Looking To Rent Out a Downstair Studio Room And Just Like That These Two Happily Couple Doesn't Realizes That There New Tentan Living Downstairs Doesn't Appear To Be Who He is But There Are About To Find Out. Pacific Heights is Directed By John Schlesinger Who Did The 1969 Academy Award Winning Film "Midnight Cowboy", And The Thriller Film "Marathon Man" Now Directes Matthew Modine And Melanie Griffith As Two The Couple Whos Lives is About To Be Shartted By There New Tenant in a Creepy And Convincing Role By Michael Keaton Who Will Do Anything To Keep His Personal And Private Life a Secret Even if it Means Tearing The Two Couple Lives. Pacific Heights is a Great Suspense Film With Great Direction By John Schlesinger.

SF couple (Matthew Modine, Melanie Griffith) purchase a $1 million Victorian house and rent out the individual apartments. A man who doesn't want to fill out an application (Michael Keaton) moves himself into one of them, changes the locks on the door, makes lots of noise with a stoner/hippie and trashes the place so much that cockroaches crawl into the apartment of the people next door. The man won't pay any rent, laws in the area somehow won't evict him (and give him more rights than the landlords) until he moves out with the appliances, and his strange personal history is uncovered. Based on a true story, which may forgive the film's implausibilities. Throwaway entertainment with no emphasis on good acting/writing, but a lot of fun to see Keaton in such an odd role.

This movie was so not what I had been led to believe it was. I'd first seen a clip of the movie on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments and thought it looked like an old school thriller in the vein of Fatal Attraction, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Sleeping With The Enemy etc. and of course I'm a huge fan of anything Michael Keaton does, who coincidentally is the easily the best part of the movie. Instead it turns out to be a very boring and bland thriller for estate agents, and I found myself falling alsep at least twice whenever Keaton wasn't on screen. Matthew Modine and Melanie Griffith are completely unbelievable and sans-chemistry as the main couple and in my opinion, Modine overacts to the point where it becomes annoying. Keaton is the saving grace. 6/10

The obvious thing in this movie that can be hailed is Michael Keaton's psychotic performance. Seriously, he must have done a lot of research for his role as a nut case like this. Modine was annoying like usual and Griffith was all right, but how many movies can we watch with her acting like a complete moron? 7.5/10 (for Keaton's performance).

The entire plot of this movie completely ridiculous! The premise that there is a volcano under Los Angeles is more believable! If you somehow end up with this tape in your VCR, I recommend you fast forward and watch ONLY the parts with Michael Keaton. No other part will be bearable. If you see it on TV, change the channel, unplug the TV, do whatever you must to avoid this movie! (Ok really it isn't THAT bad but the premise is downright awful)

This is just one of those films that is completely beneath contempt. It's so formulamatic and hollywoodized that its sickening. First of all it rips off other primal thrillers such as "Fatal Attraction" and "Cape Fear", second of all THE ACTING IS TERRIBLE!!!!!!, except for Keaton in the smaller role as the bad guy, come to think of it he didnt have to act much. Griffith was just plain awful in the lead, Modine was almost as bad but i'll put him ahead of Griffith because he tried. Everything was just so predictable and boring that I wanted to shoot myself. If you want to see an unoriginal predictable thriller done well see "Unlawful Entry"(1992) with Kurt Russell and Ray Liotta, at least in that movie the acting was good and their performances let the movie rise above the formulamatic plot. Overall this movie was awful and should have ended many careers, maybe it did!! Bomb out of ****.