Homewrecker (2019) Review
Michelle (Alex Essoe) is an interior designer and newlywed to Robert (Kris Siddiqi). Linda (Precious Chong) lives alone and fills her days with painting and exercise classes. Seeking a new friend, Linda coerces the reserved, deferential Michelle into visiting her home for a spontaneous interior design consultation. Once inside, it quickly becomes clear that Linda has something far more sinister on her mind than throw pillows.
At just seventy-five minutes in length director Zach Gayne’s HOMEWRECKER is billed as a comedy horror however for this reviewer the comedy was rather lacking. This is a shame as the film’s small cast, especially the central two female leads, are excellent in an otherwise leisurely paced thriller that offers up little in the way of surprises. HOMEWRECKER lacks any real oomph when it should really have one glued to the edge-of-their-seats.
Visually it’s a case of pointing a camera and filming, there are no visual flourishes to whip up the tension – although there is the occasional use of split-screen to liven things up – and consequently it plays out as static as watching a drama on stage in a theatre. Also, and as I touched upon earlier, the film’s humour just didn’t play out well for me; instead I found the narrative implausible and silly. Apparently this Canadian film finds its humour in how polite Canadian people are to others; it didn’t come over that way to me. From where I was sitting HOMEWRECKER is about a woman who stupidly agrees to everything suggested by her unhinged new friend simply so as not to offend her.
For a film to work I need to buy into its core concept and I found it difficult to grasp why Michelle didn’t simply put Linda straight from the start, but she didn’t. When I find the narrative that I am expected to grasp implausible then it’s all downhill from that point on for me. On the plus side Precious Chong, as loopy Linda, pulls off an incredible feat, she never once veers towards being over-the-top or campy and Alex Essoe, as the victim, is solid in a role that calls upon her to be a bit of a plonker. If only I could have been able to relate to the film’s humour aspect then perhaps I would have enjoyed HOMEWRECKER a lot more.
HOMEWRECKER IS RELEASED ON DVD/DIGITAL/ON DEMAND JULY 7
OFFICIAL TRAILER
