Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda star in this film that stresses the importance of background checks. Allison "Allie" Jones (Fonda) is a software designer in New York City. While her professional life is on the rise her personal one is in a freefall. After she discovers that her fiancé Sam (Steven Weber), slept with his ex-wife she banishes him from her two bedroom apartment. Allie is now in need of a roommate. So she puts an ad in the newspaper looking for a roommate. Every single applicant is not right, until the appearance of Hedra "Hedy" Carlson (Leigh). Hedy seems to be the perfect roommate and very quickly fills the void left in Allie's life after Sam's departure. The two girls' friendship deepens when Hedy brings home an adorable, and very expensive, puppy. At first Allie objects to the idea of a pet but quickly becomes attached to it. After about a month Allie reconciles with Sam and they begin to discuss moving in together again much to Hedy's discomfort. Eventually Hedy's more disturbed side begins to surface as she tries to be more and more like Allie even going so far as to change her hairstyle to match Allie's exactly. Hedy has had issues since the age of nine when her twin sister drowned in an accident. Since then Hedy has not been the same. Hedy blames herself and seeks to replace her twin.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder, who is perhaps best known for directing the exquisite Reversal of Fortune, the film starts off as an effective psychological thriller. Leigh (one of my favorite actresses) gives an intensely creepy and yet reserved performance. The audience sympathizes with Hedy in some strange way. In a way that reminds me of Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal it is a performance in which we wish it could be different for her despite our head telling us to hate her.
Unfortunately the last act of the film transforms it into a standard monster-in-the-house-slasher picture. Allie ducks around air vents and behind furniture while Hedy chases her calling for her. I wish the film could just avoid that cliché and stick to what worked in the first two-thirds of the film.
★★★
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