It isn't often when two female leads get to collaborate with their director to write their own film. Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes, Dr. Sleep) and Precious Chong (yes, daughter of that Chong) co-wrote the script for Homewrecker with director Zach Gayne, but unfortunately, this deranged comedy-thriller falls short of becoming the horror satire it wanted to be.
Interior designer Michelle (Essoe) meets cute with Linda (Chong) at their shared fitness classes and coffee shops. The women, a generation apart, don't really have much in common, but Michelle's meek politeness leads to her accompanying Linda back to her "dump" to dispense some design advice. Once there, the plot quickly devolves into a creepy 80's slumber party, complete with clichéd board games and music videos. At this point, it is too preposterous that Michelle doesn't just leave. As Linda obviously becomes more erratic and desperate, she waits too long until her true intentions become clear, and the comically tragic situation escalates into physical violence. When Linda's true motive is finally revealed, the film becomes even triter.
Imagine Single White Female as a student film.
I had problems with both of these women's characters. Michelle, young, beautiful, and successful, is nevertheless portrayed as a submissive mark to Linda's frenetic, needy, "life peaked in the 80's " middle-aged desperation. Michelle may be weakened by doubts about her marriage, but it is ridiculous to think that someone would just go home with a stranger and allow themselves to become trapped in this trippy nightmare. Hopelessly trying to hang onto her youth, Linda's character is depicted as a mean caricature of a "woman of a certain age" that can only be clingy, crazy, and desperate. The script does have some sense of escalating tension, but the almost slapstick timidity of the violence (except for one instance) didn't leave me with that gut punch you get from a successful horror film.
The brightest spot for me in the movie was Precious Chong's terrific performance as Linda. Showing no vanity, Chong goes for it, getting increasingly wild-eyed and insane. Linda starts off as pleasant and friendly, but you could see the gleam of hidden mania in her eyes, and as she mentally disintegrates in front of Michelle, it is something to watch.
At 76 minutes, this low budget Canadian indie is not entirely successful, but director Zach Gayne gave me enough to work with that I will take note of his future projects, to see if he can build them into something more polished and effective than Homewrecker.
Patricia Pirillo