It can be far too easy to ignore warning signs and step right into danger simply for the sake of avoiding conflict or maintaining politeness. That’s exactly what happens to newlywed Michelle (Starry Eye’s Alex Essoe) when she bumps into the older Linda (Precious Chong) in a coffee shop after a string of coincidental shared fitness classes. Linda invites herself to sit with Michelle, invading her personal space and prying into personal affairs. She even convinces Michelle to come over, even though Michelle’s hesitancy is written across her face. Throughout Linda’s increasingly clingy behavior, Michelle grins and bears it for the sake of civility. Until she’s finally pushed too far, and clinginess gives way to dangerous obsession.
Written by director Zach Gayne and the film’s two leading ladies, Homewrecker takes a satirical approach to social expectations of women. Michelle’s aversion to conflict winds up causing her more harm in every aspect of her life. Instead of asking her husband why he’s been so secretive lately, she holds her worries inside. Instead of just saying no to the pushy but seemingly well-meaning stranger, she goes home with her. As for Linda, she’s willing to play all of the games necessary to keep her lover happy, whether it’s pretending to be okay with an open relationship or maintaining an unflappable, ladylike appearance at all times. Above all, Linda isn’t afraid to demand the things she wants. It’s the push and pull of these two opposite women as they attempt to figure out the real person beneath each façade that the movie is at its most interesting.
Chong is brilliant as Linda, the lonely spinster type that evokes Annie Wilkes levels of bubbly cheer and menace. She deftly conveys a hidden rage through her eyes while the rest of her face is plastered in a frozen smile. It’s chilling. Essoe has a harder, more thankless job as the straight woman of this dynamic duo, but she exhibits an emotional range that easily pulls you into this bizarre, dangerous dance between Michelle and Linda.
Of course, this Misery-style chamber piece does devolve into violence. Michelle will have to learn to embrace conflict and fight for what she wants if she ever hopes to escape Linda’s clutches. On one hand, that means losing the psychological element that was so riveting as final reveals in motives leads to physical horror. But on the other hand, Linda and Michelle cease to be as compelling as they were before these truths are out in the open. It’s when the film presents a larger connection between the women that it falls into something more cliché and less effective.
Luckily, in a battle for survival against a deranged woman, the finale gets bloody. Delightfully, dementedly bloody as the violence kicks into high gear. It helps to ease the sting of familiarity. At least for her part, Essoe is no stranger to physical horror and continues to demonstrate why she should be cast in genre films more often.
For a brisk runtime, Gayne delivered a frenetic, pitch black comedy that presents an engaging look at the psychological aftermath of the effects of social expectations. There’s a fine line between polite and serious danger, and these ladies begin at polar opposite ends before smashing the line altogether. The first half of the film is the strongest, introducing two riveting characters who reveal surprising complexity in their warped cat and mouse game. The ending gives a satisfying finish to the battle of wills, but it’s marred a bit by familiar reveals we’ve seen before. Even still, Gayne and these two fearless leading ladies have unleashed a warped thriller that will leave you laughing and cringing. It’ll also inspire you to rethink ignoring those red flags for the sake of politeness.
