Review: Homewrecker

Homewrecker is a movie that took me by surprise. It's a female-driven horror/comedy that's not much of comedy, nor really a horror film, but is still successful. If anything, it's a horrific character study with dashes of comedy... and a disturbing one at that.

The film casts a non-too flattering light on politeness, obsession, feminine rivalries, and human interactions. It plays with our emotions, making us root for, and dislike, our main characters. Its success rests firmly on the two leads, who give two of the finest performances I've seen in years.

Homewrecker is about an interior designer (Alex Essoe) who seems to have everything one could want out of life, and her wild-eyed yoga classmate (Precious Chong) who guilts her into first having a coffee together, then a drink before noon, then watching a movie at her house. Then things turn into a full-fledged kidnapping...

Like I said, Homewrecker's strength lies in the performances of Essoe and Chong. These two are dynamite, and play with our feelings in unexpected ways. Their relationship swings back and forth between adversaries and friendship, before exploding into a violent, third-act confrontation. Had either of them faltered, the movie wouldn't have worked.

There's a few twists and turns along the way, many of which took me by surprise. But all the clues to what this movie is actually about are there. Chong and Essoe wrote the script with director Zach Gayne, and they weave a clever tale. One with a brutal payoff I didn't see coming.

Much of the humour didn't work for me. That's probably my fault. But I can see how some would find parts funny. It's not a straight-up horror film either, until you figure out what Homewrecker is all about. Then it becomes all-too real, and that's scary.

This one is a Good. It's easily one of the better movies I've seen this year.

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