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I can’t count the number of times I heard someone in the audience say “Man, that chick is crazy,” while watching “Obsessed,” which opens in theaters today.
Derek Charles (Idris Elba) is a successful manager who has a great life with a new home, a loving wife Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles), and their son Kyle. Of course his life is turned upside down when Lisa (Ali Larter), a temp worker, starts flirting with and stalking him.
There’s nothing subtle about Lisa’s intentions. When she and Derek meet for the first time in an elevator, the camera does the work, getting close-up shots of Lisa’s thigh as it’s barely covered by her miniskirt. Their hands briefly touch while trying to pick up fallen papers, and the look on her face tells you the “crazy” has begun.
The premise of Obsessed is nothing new, so it’s not shocking to watch Lisa’s obsessive behavior go from seemingly innocent comments to groping Derek in a bathroom stall at a party.
Obsessed could’ve been a really good movie, but a lack of depth and willingness to “go there,” especially when it came to Lisa, makes it average at best.
Larter does her job convincing us that Lisa is out of touch with reality, but there’s no clear motive for it all. Sending spam emails and pretending to be someone’s husband is child’s play.
What we’re really waiting for is that moment when Lisa’s character snaps and goes off the deep end. But that never happens. Even when Lisa drugs Derek, the movie remains as edgy as a butter knife, leaving us to wonder whether or not she really took advantage of him.
The tension never builds, unfortunately, so Lisa is nothing more than a sex kitten turned stalker who doesn’t make you fear for your safety; she’s the kind of stalker who’s incredibly annoying.
After Derek is forced to explain to his wife the flirting and lies he’s hidden, the movie leads to an anticipated bout of fisticuffs between Sharon and Lisa. In a movie where she can’t use singing as a crutch, Beyoncé is much better than expected.
This isn’t a catfight, it’s a smackdown that’ll make you think twice about crossing Beyoncé on a bad day. It’s the most entertaining part of the movie, before the ending crashes and burns into a lame ball of fire.
Of course it’s also fun to laugh at the unintentionally funny moments in Obsessed, which happens to be every sexual advancement Lisa makes toward Derek, but it’s worth watching if you want to see Beyoncé put a hurtin’ on a single lady.
