Image courtesy of ScreenGems

By: Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

Obsessed
Rating: 3 out of 5

Breathing life into the old school, suspense subgenre of the female stalker, "Obsessed" proves to be satisfying despite also being very predictable.

The film feature loads of modern star power and as a result the film ends up coming off as somewhat real and extremely relatable.

Every man can relate to having a happy home and a sexy co-worker and every woman can agree to either being or knowing the hot girl at the office.

The twist comes once the hottie begins to show that she is a little (or a lot) crazy.

The film opens with Derek (Idris Elba) moving into a new home with his wife, Sharon (Beyonce Knowles), and their son, Kyle.

The opening scene allows the viewer to see that the two are happily married and still very much in love. The viewer also quickly learns that Derek is a very successful businessman and Sharon is a homemaker that used to be Derek's assistant.

For a while everything is seemingly perfect in Derek's life until he meets a smart and beautiful temp, named Lisa (Ali Larter).

At first Lisa appears to be the perfect temp. She is fast, efficient and even funny. This soon becomes a distant memory after she uses alcohol as a weapon on Derek at the annual Christmas party.

In a scene that mixes sexy intrigue with over-the-top execution. Lisa reveals, under the cover of being a little tipsy, he plans and desires for the handsome and successful Derek.

Following the party she begins to force herself into his life and under the cover of civility, Derek keeps tolerating her until his rejection forces her over the edge.

The film that follows takes an interesting look at the issues that lead to office obsession along with an extreme look at the ramifications. While Lisa's antics are outrageous, there is a sting of truth lurking within the film.

Viewers will question (often out loud) is Derek is making the right decisions regarding the villain here, considering how innocently the debauchery begins.

Acting in the film has an interesting range. Elba is brilliant while Knowles and Larter have highs and lows. Despite several performance levels, the overall chemistry between the characters is nice.

This film is also and interesting conversation piece as well. The realistic and ridiculous discourse between the married couple is sure to catch attention. As will the employment of office politics like gay and older assistants to curb the possibility of interoffice affairs.

Once the film reaches the climax, viewers will not only know what's coming but will be waiting in anticipation. The result will gain a couple of enthusiastic yells and claps but nothing takes it to the level needed to make this a true classic.

In short, it pulls too many punches (literally!).

Bottom Line: Obsessed does a good job of reintroducing a thrilling genre even if it never jumps past average in storytelling.

Labels: movies, reviews