Lifetime’s interest in stalking this month continues with screenwriter David Chester’s bonkers She’s Obsessed with My Husband. Directed by Doug Campbell with a lurid, campy touch, the film is a delightful romp that only falters when it focuses too much on its least interesting character in the third act. Aside from that misstep, however, this Lifetime property is an absolute blast.
The film opens with the usual attention-grabbing set piece. On their 19th wedding anniversary, Mason (Zach De Nardi) discovers his wife Violet (Alissa Filoramo) looking at pictures of her high school sweetheart Garrett (played by Matt Pholkamp in the present, and Sam Wasylenko in hazy flashbacks). When Mason confronts Violet, ripping her beloved picture in the process, she strangles him with his own tie.
While it is disappointing to learn later that this isn’t a murder (though it does result in divorce), it’s a very amusing way to begin the film. What is even more delightful is that She’s Obsessed with My Husband keeps up this kind of outrageous energy throughout most of its runtime.
Now free to do as she pleases, the film jumps ahead a year to find Violet moving in next door to Garrett. He’s happily married to Daisy (Arye Campos), a book editor, and they have a teenage daughter Allison (Taylor Castro) who has just been accepted to a prestigious French fashion school that they can’t afford.
From her first moments on the suburban street, Violet seeks to drive a wedge between the couple. She exploits Daisy’s feelings of insecurity about her clothes and make-up, capitalizes on the family’s financial difficulties, and even turns Allison against her mom at one point.
These are fairly standard developments, but Violet quickly escalates her plan of attack by bringing in con artist Oliver (Andrew Ghai), who defrauds Daisy out of Allison’s $75K College fund. She also poisons Daisy’s boss, Claudia (Julia A. Harris) to get her fired. Murder, imprisonment and knife fights on the front lawn soon follow in this wild, unhinged tale of obsessive love.
If these events were delivered in a straight forward fashion, She’s Obsessed with My Husband would still be enjoyable. But the film rises into all-timer territory thanks to several tongue-in-cheek elements, including Filoramo’s committed performance as the central antagonist.
For example: Chester’s script frequently has Violet verbalize her intentions, almost as though she’s speaking aloud to the audience. When Daisy confronts Violet about the ingredients of Claudia’s poisoned pie, Violet immediately gaslights her into apologizing. As Daisy says sorry and walks away, Violet answers “Not as sorry as you’re going to be.” This happens numerous times throughout the film, including the moment when Violet injects the mystery poison into the pie with a literal wink at the camera.
This kind of self-awareness is woven throughout the screenplay. At multiple points, Violet is framed in her bedroom window, wearing lingerie and drinking red wine while she watches/listens to Daisy and Garrett have sex or fight. At another point, there’s a music video-style montage of Violet masturbating as she watches Garrett swim in his backyard pool, the camera lingering over Pholkamp’s bare torso that implicates the audience in her voyeurism.
There are also delightfully silly moments, such as when Violet gains access to the Hawkins’ bank accounts via a folder labelled “Passwords” that is conveniently laying out on Daisy’s desk. There’s the giant vision board Violet makes of her and Garrett that she leaves lying around her house. And there are recurring tight tracking shots of Violet (and later Allison) half jogging from one house to the other, on their way to commit a B&E. It’s utterly ridiculous, but also so much fun.
Which is what makes the last act something of a letdown. With Violet’s plan in overdrive and Daisy temporarily taken off the board, the film relies on Allison to carry the narrative. While Castro is fine in the role, Allison is easily the film’s most boring character, and shifting the focus away from Violet is a mistake. It’s a narrative requirement that allows characters to catch up on the plot, but the film loses steam until the bonkers climax. Thankfully the ending is just as silly, ridiculous, and entertaining as it needs to be.
She’s Obsessed with My Husband is the perfect blend of ridiculous plot, campy dialogue, and outrageous suburban stalker drama. Featuring inspired direction, a self-aware screenplay, and one hell of a dedicated performance from Filoramo, I’m already chomping at the bit for a sequel.
She’s Obsessed with My Husband premieres on Lifetime February 15 at 8pm EST.
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