Before his warm portrayal of bar owner Jack Sheridan in Virgin River, Martin Henderson honed his craft navigating intricate, tension-filled narratives—none more gripping than the little-seen 2013 thriller The Moment (also known as The Intruder). In this film, Henderson steps away from romantic leads and into the shadowy world of mystery, playing John, a tormented writer whose disappearance sets off a psychological unraveling for the protagonist.
The film opens on Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character, photojournalist Lee, who’s hospitalized following a dissociative breakdown: she believes her ex-lover John vanished after a violent confrontation. When she starts piecing together fragmented memories, her search for the truth becomes a warped descent into uncertainty. Henderson, though not the central narrator, holds the key to the enigma. His performance is subdued but haunting—a man both present and absent, whose absence echoes with menace. John’s ghost seems to linger with every glance and gesture, and Henderson portrays him through Lee’s fractured memories: protective one moment, threatening the next.
While The Moment didn’t make a big splash at the box office, it cultivated a cult following among fans of moody mysteries. On IMDb, it holds a respectable 7.1/10 rating and is listed under the mystery/thriller genre rottentomatoes.com+15findthatmovie.com+15marieclaire.com+15. Viewers praised its tension-driven pacing and psychological depth, even if some critics found its ambiguity muddled . Henderson’s performance, in particular, was noted for its restraint and emotional layering, traits that would serve him well in later roles like Jack’s understated empathy.
This role marked a turning point for Henderson’s career. After establishing himself in heartthrob roles (most notably in The Ring as Naomi Watts’ husband, earning mainstream recognition purewow.com+4film.datathistle.com+4originalfilmart.co.uk+4), The Moment let him explore darker facets of his talent. Where The Ring cast him as a loving partner cornered by supernatural forces, The Moment cast him as a potentially dangerous human mystery—a difference in tone and complexity that showcased Henderson’s range.
Following this, he continued alternating between character-driven dramas, genre pieces (The Ring 2), and high-profile television (Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Nathan Riggs) originalfilmart.co.uk+7purewow.com+7rottentomatoes.com+7. Yet The Moment remains a standout example of his ability to bring emotional weight and internal conflict to roles that demand more than surface charm.
Fast forward to Virgin River, and some of those traits shine through in Jack Sheridan. While Jack is warm and loyal, he’s also haunted—by PTSD, loss, and a penchant for emotional solitude hellomagazine.com+6glamour.com+6netflix.com+6. You can trace that brooding sensibility back to The Moment, where Henderson first mastered conveying complexity through quiet moments, hidden pain, and subtle expressions.
For fans discovering Henderson through Netflix, The Moment offers a compelling reminder: this actor has long inhabited darker, layered roles filled with moral ambiguity. He’s no stranger to tension or nuance. And while Virgin River traded the shadows for small-town romance, Henderson’s performance carries the depth of his earlier work—making Jack Sheridan a richer, more emotionally resonant character.
In the broader context of his career, The Moment serves as a milestone: a film that didn’t define his fame but cemented his credibility. It allowed him to pivot from horror spouse to missing writer, and finally to community pillar. That trajectory underlines an actor unafraid to take risks—someone equally comfortable facing supernatural curses, medical emergencies, or psychological mysteries.
For those eager to explore beyond the quiet charm of Virgin River, tracking down The Moment is a rewarding venture. It reveals an actor at a crossroads—challenging fear, memory, and identity in ways that lay the groundwork for the emotional reliability he brings to every scene in Virgin River. It’s proof that Henderson’s best work often lies just beneath the surface—and that the best mysteries aren’t always in front of the camera, but in the soul of the actor telling the story.
