I'LL BE WATCHING (TV Movie)
6 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 2:15 min
BASIC PLOT:
Kate Riley (
Janel Parrish) is finally getting her life together. Aging out of the foster system, she's now enrolled in Portland Community College. She's working hard to find her place in this world, when the worst happens. Someone notices her... And it's not the type of attention anyone wants. It starts out with bloody roses left on her doorstep, and escalates into violent professions of love and admiration. Kate is assigned a group of dedicated detectives to watch over her, but in the end, it's not enough. Now Kate's on the run, and the stalker has decided to punish the women of Portland until she returns. Can Kate finally stop running long enough, to make a life? Or will her stalker always be watching?
WHAT WORKS:
*GREAT USE OF VISUAL METAPHORS Throughout the movie, the filmmakers shine a baby spot on the stalker's eye. It's a fantastic visual metaphor, it reiterates the fact that the stalker is always watching. Also, they use a lot of purple in the background lighting. This is a nod to the roses the stalker leaves, and the book the movie's based on, "The Purple Rose", by Christi Walsh
*BETTER THAN AVERAGE FRAMING OF SHOTS This film has some outstanding shot set ups, especially for a made-for-tv movie. The filmmakers took the time to do things properly, the result elevates this out of the realm of the low budget TV movie. Excellent decision making from
Jodi Binstock (director) and
Alexander Yellen (cinematographer).
*GREAT USE OF MUSIC
The haunting songs used throughout the movie accentuates the creepy atmosphere of the film. I wish more low budget filmmakers would realize the power of good music.
*EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES FROM EVERYONE
Everyone here does a great job, the standouts are
Conner Marx, as the stalker,
Rob Estes as Detective Paine, and
Janel Parrish as Kate Riley.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
*WE NEED TO TEACH OUR WOMEN TO BE STRONG Kate tries, and fails at being a fighter. I'm not sure if this a fail of the book, the screenplay, or our society, but I'm sick of seeing weak women on my TV. I realize Kate tries to find her strength, but in the end, she needs men to save her. It's pathetic! We need to teach our daughters to NOT BE AFRAID in situations like these, and to put that knife where it belongs, BEFORE he has a chance to use it. We do that by showing women it's possible. Entertainment can affect change! I do not understand how this is written by a woman (
Sydney Ortman) for a female audience, yet it still has the protagonist this weak. As a viewer, and a woman, I'd like to see more storylines where the woman saves herself (like
Perigo a Domicílio (2015)), instead of women having to be victimized first, before they attempt to find their inner strength, and still have to be rescued by a man.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
*This movie has it's good points. It's an above average TV movie, the acting, directing and cinematography are all better than you'd normally see. It's a good story, but with a weak ending. If watching weak women constantly need saving is your thing, then you'll probably like this. If you're like me, and are sick of seeing timid women repeatedly rely on men for everything, you should probably give this a pass (or at least be prepared to throw things at your TV).
CLOSING NOTES:
*THIS IS A MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.
*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.
