Stalker

Stars: Vincent Van Horn, Christine Ko, Michael Lee Joplin

Director: Tyler Savage

A tense, tightly-knit thriller in almost sub-Hitchcock vein, with good performances - especially Joplin's - and the near-inevitable twist at the end.

Andy, a tutor and would-be drummer (Van Horn) moves from Dallas to LA with his dog (don't fancy the dog's chances of surviving this film at all) after a traumatic relationship break-up, and soon scoops himself up a whole heap of trouble in the form of 'rideshare' driver Roger (Joplin) who battens on to Andy after driving him and his putative new girlfriend Sam (Ko) home.

Unwisely (although in the long run it would probably have made no difference to the outcome) Andy agrees to a night out on the tiles with Roger, who texts him constantly thereafter.

Things rapidly turn sour and the pair even come to blows, although not before we've seen how dangerous Roger really is, as he murders a young couple in their home for no apparent reason. Soon, Roger is hacking into, and taking over Andy's entire life.

It's a nice little late-night thriller; the vein, and developments, may be a tad familiar, but the director keeps us if not on, then near the edges of our seats.

On digital video on demand from 21 May

David Quinlan

USA 2020. UK Distributor: Vertical Entertainment. Colour (unspecified).
86 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 1, Swearing 2.

Review date: 18 May 2021