Film Review - Homewrecker (2019)

Breaching uncomfortable subjects within a friendship should come naturally around people you trust, for new acquaintances there should really be a grace period before honesty sessions. When Michelle met Linda, this forced friendship goes off the rails fast.

Interior designer Michelle (irrefutably brilliant, Alex Essoe) conveys happiness in a new marriage eager to start a family.

Excitable Linda (Precious Chong) formidably invades her personal space with scary ease, From randomly ‘borrowing’ a tampon at the gym to bumping into her in a café. Linda uses strong-willed persistence to lure Michelle into her house under false-pretence.

Sensing something is not quite right about weird Linda, desperate to escape, Michelle plays along until finding out quickly there may be actually no escape.

What comes across as really scary is this could easily be real, obsessed stalker pouncing on unsuspecting victim.

Kind of like an alternate hybrid of Misery (1990) with The Purge (2013) this scenario is difficult to describe without ruining further surprises, a different kind of horror-thriller equipped with tense scenes creatively played out from two incredible polar opposite leads and simple visual tricks, including split-screen.

As volatile Linda in search of eternal youth and true love, Precious Chong, is in a psychotic acting realm all of her own.

Daughter of cannabis rights activist, legendary comedian Tommy Chong, genetic talent in strong.

Completed on a brisk shooting schedule, limited location and limited budget, director Zach Gayne works wonders in conjunction with his dynamic leads, all co-writing and producing.

Out there and not for the faint hearted; certainly worth a look.

Bringing her unassuming career-A-game, over and over in her every single project, in particular channelling Shelly Long, in Doctor Sleep, to keeping reactions beyond plausible in tech-slasher, The Drone; Bound for stardom, fundamental final word goes to risk taking Canadian and valued screen presence, Alexandra Essoe. ‘Effulgent’.