It's interesting that there exists a whole niche of films that are mediocre all the way through. Films like this reminds me about not taking good films for granted. In this way Run To Me succeeds.
A good thing is that it has two women main characters. That's cool, although the film at one point turns into a lesbian fantasy. The writers have to be male, I thought. Of course they were. The husband Adam is portrayed as completely true and faultless. He is tempted by the neighbor (whose only function is to suggest adultery), but doesn't give in. He loves Alison. His rapey approach to exhausted Alison is portrayed as romantic. Of course the writers are male.
The villain, Dr. Stevens, is some character though. An accomlished academic, a master manipulator, and so evil and murderous it's ridiculous. Perhaps because I'm not used to see women playing this kind of role? But the character ends up being a bit underdeveloped. Why is she this way? The film mentions rejection issues, but it doesn't seem to explain her maniac behaviour.
This could have been a good thriller about a manipulator and her victim's addiction to her, growing paranoia, emerging emotional baggage and social detoriation. But it never works up the low-key intensity such a film needs. Everything is too soapy and blatant. The memory of Alison's mother scolding her is laughably terrible. At one point the film even tries to be an action film by having Stevens walking slowly towards the camera while a car explodes in the background. With a dead journalist inside. Which invited her into his home, and turned his back to her, even though he knew she was a murderer.
A good thing is that it has two women main characters. That's cool, although the film at one point turns into a lesbian fantasy. The writers have to be male, I thought. Of course they were. The husband Adam is portrayed as completely true and faultless. He is tempted by the neighbor (whose only function is to suggest adultery), but doesn't give in. He loves Alison. His rapey approach to exhausted Alison is portrayed as romantic. Of course the writers are male.
The villain, Dr. Stevens, is some character though. An accomlished academic, a master manipulator, and so evil and murderous it's ridiculous. Perhaps because I'm not used to see women playing this kind of role? But the character ends up being a bit underdeveloped. Why is she this way? The film mentions rejection issues, but it doesn't seem to explain her maniac behaviour.
This could have been a good thriller about a manipulator and her victim's addiction to her, growing paranoia, emerging emotional baggage and social detoriation. But it never works up the low-key intensity such a film needs. Everything is too soapy and blatant. The memory of Alison's mother scolding her is laughably terrible. At one point the film even tries to be an action film by having Stevens walking slowly towards the camera while a car explodes in the background. With a dead journalist inside. Which invited her into his home, and turned his back to her, even though he knew she was a murderer.