3.4 out of 5 stars (slightly above average)
Thank you to Octobercoast PR and Uncork’d Entertainment for reaching out to me for this review.
Upon seeing the title for Stalked, I presumed it would be a story of some poor soul getting stalked by a creep who would increasingly ruin their life. What I got was a white-knuckle suspense thriller with a creative twist and a great lead performance from newcomer Rebecca Rogers that grabs you tight and never lets go. After a weak start, Stalked becomes a solid thriller with a cool twist.
Sam (Rebecca Rogers) is a divorced ex-military woman with a young baby. When she goes to buy some medication for the baby (leaving it home alone for some reason), Sam is knocked out and abducted in broad daylight, waking up in a factory with no way out. She soon discovers another badly bruised captive (Imogen Irving) who claims she was kidnapped and attacked by someone earlier. Finding a blowtorch, Sam decides the two should split up so the attacker won’t be able to overpower them, made difficult when they realize the place is littered with cameras and that they’re being pursued by an unseen enemy.
Stalked begins slowly, but kicks into gear once Sam awakens in the factory. If you can forgive Sam leaving her baby home alone, the rest of the film makes up for that ridiculous script decision with constant tension and a quick pace. Rebecca Rogers largely carries the film solo and grounds its more ridiculous developments, and the tension is nearly unyielding. My fists were clenched through most of Stalked as I wondered how the heroines would escape, if at all. As for flaws, the first act feels mundane and the finale stretches credibility, but Rogers carries it to the finish line. Despite a slow start and a credibility-stretching finale, Stalked is a tense, engaging thriller that will have you checking behind your shoulder. See it.
Likely would be rated R for Some Gory Violence and An Attempted Assault.
Stalked will be available on DVD and VOD February 4th, 2020.