“Is
her handsome, successful husband
having an affair or is he being innocently
targeted by a sick and dangerous
fantasist? That is the dilemma facing
attractive Sharon Charles in the sexy hit
thriller Obsessed...” IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE, but the quality thriller Obsessed
does it so well. Sharon Charles (superbly played by the lovely Beyoncé Knowles:
Cadillac Records; Dreamgirls) has it all — a beautiful house in
a new Los Angeles neighbourhood, a happy marriage to her handsome, successful
former boss and an adorable little boy, Kyle (Nathan and Nicolas Myers).
But all that is about to change with the arrival of beautiful but predatory
and manipulative temp Lisa (Ali Larter: television's Heroes; Resident Evil:
Extinction) who is coldly determined to get her man. That is, Sharon's man,
Derek Charles (the gorgeous Idris Elba: television's The Wire; and The
Office).
Derek works for Joe Gage (Bruce McGill) as Executive Vice President at Gage
Bendix and has just clinched a multi-million-dollar deal. But the Golden Boy
is about to get a short, sharp shock.
Into his life walks sex-on-legs Lisa, who temps for him when his assistant Patrick
(Matthew Humphries) is off sick. "A lot of single girls see the workplace as
their hunting ground," warns his friend Ben (Jerry O'Connell: television's Crossing
Jordan; Jerry McGuire). And sure enough, Lisa blocks Sharon's calls, plays
the sympathy card with a story of a broken romance, traps Derek in the executive
bathroom and appears half-naked in his car.
Derek unwittingly gives Lisa all the ammunition she needs to hit on him and
he hesitates over telling Sharon — who has taken an instant dislike to
the girl — because she has just found out that her brother-in-law Tim has
cheated on her sister Sheila.
Despite his protestations, Lisa convinces herself that Derek will leave Sharon
for her. Lisa is the stalker from hell, listening in to his telephone calls,
following him wherever he goes and engineering situations that she passes off
as misunderstandings. Finally events spiral completely out of control, and Derek
finds himself fighting for his career and his marriage and Sharon fighting for
her life.
Will history repeat itself and Derek succumb to temptation? Or will Sharon fight
for her man? When Lisa is moved by the temp agency, can Sharon and Derek breathe
a sigh of relief? Can Derek convince Detective Monica Reese (Christine Lahti:
Smart People; Running On Empty) — and Sharon — that Lisa lives
in a fantasy world? Life is just about to get a whole lot messier as Lisa resorts
to every dirty trick in the book — and more — to ensnare Derek. Because
he has fallen foul of a woman who is fanatically Obsessed.
A taut and riveting thriller, Obsessed is an abject lesson in how careless
words can get you into Deep Trouble. With a hot cast and solid acting support,
this steamy (but not too explicit) film benefits from creditable performances
and surprise twists. The catfight between the female leads has become "the most
talked about in ages" and there are some tempting bonus features. The great
soundtrack includes Beyoncé's Smash Into You.
Obsessed marks the feature directorial debut of acclaimed television
director Steve Shill, whose credits include the award-winning series Big
Love, Dexter and The Tudors.Obsessed was Written by
David Loughery (Lakeview Terrace; Money Train) and produced by William
Packer (This Christmas; Stomp The Yard).
Also
featured are: Bonnie Perlman as Marge; Scout Taylor Compton (Rob Zombie's
Halloween; H2) as Samantha; Ron Roggé as Roger; Richard Ruccola as Hank;
and Dana Cuomo as Rachel. Obsessed was filmed at Sony Pictures Studios
and Culver City, California.
• All's fair in love and war when the sexy
hit thriller Obsessed seduces movie lovers with a debut on DVD and Blu-ray,
courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, on 26 October (2009). Certificate:
12.
"…the quality thriller Obsessed does it so well" — Maggie Woods,
MotorBar
DVD and Blu-ray Bonus Material
Behind-the-Scenes Featurette: Girl Fight! (Director Steve Shill and stunt
co-ordinator Lance Gilbert talk about the film's climatic fight sequence between
Beyoncé Knowles and Ali Larter) | Behind-the-Scenes Featurette: Playing Together
Nicely (Director Steve Shill, Producer Will Packer and Screenwriter David
Loughrey discuss assembling the perfect cast) | Behind-the-Scenes Featurette:
Obsessed: Dressed to Kill (a costume-themed featurette in which costume
designer Maya Lieberman discusses the look of the characters).
“Is
her handsome, successful husband