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★★
Directed by: #TylerSavage
Written by: Tyler Savage, #DashHawkins
Starring: #VincentVanHorn, #ChristineKo, #MichaelLeeJoplin
In our modern age of social media-driven society where just about every facet of life is now regulated through a new app or device, the downsides are eerily making themselves known. Tyler Savage’s thriller of a man being tormented by a spurned rideshare driver doesn’t boast much originality with its DNA clearly being tied to more memorable hallmarks in the genre. Andy (Van Horn) who has moved to Los Angeles after a bad break-up attempts a fresh start in the new city, where he meets Sam (Ko), After a fun date in a bar, they take rideshare back to her apartment with a slightly over-zealous driver Roger. While Andy humours him at first but decides to ignore his repeated attempts at socialising, deciding to spend more time with Sam, and that’s when Roger begins to pick apart his life online, one step at a time.
Stalker, an appropriate title, does feed into rational fears on the lack of control and protection we may feel with our online presence. Roger is able to impersonate Andy and gain access to his phone, email and bank records and causing serious professional sabotage to Andy’s career as an academic tutor. Though Savage and Dash Hawkin’s script never delves deep into these violations, Roger’s vendetta just feels tiresome due to the bland motivations. These characters just aren’t developed to an interesting degree, while there is sympathy to be had for Andy’s situation, there is little sympathy for Andy’s character. Van Horn’s performance isn’t terrible but you just can’t get invested in who Andy is, his newfound isolation in LA does play into the story but the character is in dire need of charisma. Michael Lee Joplin’s Roger doesn’t have much unique menace or intrigue as the antagonist, playing it as a standard psycho obsessive. Christine Ko’s performance as Sam is the most likeable, as the majority of her scenes just rely on her natural charm as she embarks on dates with Andy.
The film plays into the most rudimentary version of itself, Savage seems to have no vision for the story beyond the most predictable tropes. Even when the script tries to break out some third act surprises, it doesn’t exactly revitalise the film, just makes its lack of ingenuity more noticeable. Maybe if those elements were incorporated earlier it could have strengthened some character development issues but it feels like a moment played for shock rather than anything to deepen the story. In the end, Stalker is put together just fine, there’s nothing overtly terrible or offensive but it doesn’t have anything memorable to say about its genres or its themes.
Trailer:
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