It’s always interesting when horror films and thrillers market themselves using the “Based on true events” tagline, then dissect – or sometimes even criticize – the audiences’ interest in the material.
Lifetime’s new original film Lonely Crime Fanatic opens with the cliché phrase before launching into the story of a recently separated woman who falls for a true crime podcaster. The twist? The man is homicidally intent on turning her into the subject of his next episode.
The film opens with a nightmare as Ashley (Brenna Skalski) dreams of her husband Paul (David Hurt) attacking her in their home. The couple has only recently separated, and Ashley is dragging her feet on securing a divorce lawyer. Instead she’s occupying her time boxing up his stuff, running, and dabbling in her latest “project”: listening to true crime podcasts.
Over the course of the film, her black best friend Lily (Alexandria Ponce) repeatedly admonishes Ashley for using these projects as distractions. Apparently Ashley has a habit of throwing herself into temporary activities, like knitting, rather than doing what she actually needs to do.
Lily is both friend and foe for Ashley’s current obsession. While the bestie cautions Ashley to stop consuming true crime before bed, she also recommends a new title: “Unsolved Files” by David Bryant (Ian Reier Michaels).
Ashley soon learns from a YouTube interview that David is a former federal investigator and criminal profiler turned author and podcaster.
In an effort to cheer herself up, Ashley buys a ticket to David’s book signing, where they meet in person and hit it off. In short order they begin dating and, in exchange for letting her visit his studio, he begins pumping her for information about her struggles with Paul.
That’s when things get stalker-y.
The script, from Bryan Lucas, is simultaneously too serious and too ridiculous; Lonely Crime Fanatic wants to have its cake and eat it, too. Its biggest flaw is that the film seems utterly unclear what, if anything, it is trying to say about women’s obsession with true crime.
Typically in these films, there’s a relatively clear division between good characters and bad ones. Unlike Tall, Dark, and Dangerous, which offered no pretense that its villain was trustworthy, Lonely Crime Fanatic initially suggests that Paul is the abusive and possibly dangerous threat, before confirming he’s just a womanizing lothario; clean cut, straight acting David is the true psychopath.
This initial attempt to morally muddy the film’s male characters is interesting, but as Lonely Crime Fanatic continues, Lucas’ script loses its focus. Is the take-away that Ashley’s interest in true crime is to blame for getting her into this predicament? That every man is a threat? Particularly ironic is the film’s resolution: not only is it too quick/too pat, but the suggestion that society has a responsibility not to turn survivors into celebrities (via things like podcasts and books) is completely undercut by the fact that Ashley is literally saying this on a podcast.
Confused screenplay aside, director Kaila York has fun staging the cat and mouse mind games in the film’s early to middle sections. Michaels’ performance as the antagonist isn’t very showy until David becomes completely unhinged for the finale, but watching the podcaster make copies of Ashley’s keys, plant microphones all over her house, and even leave Paul’s sunglasses and a knife lying around is creepy fun.
As per usual, there’s the requisite filing of the restraining order, an ineffectual police interview, and breakdowns from Ashley as she tries to cope with the stalking. Skalski does her best to make Ashley an interesting protagonist, but unfortunately the character is a relatively stock damsel in distress.
Overall, Lonely Crime Fanatic is watchable, but it’s not particularly innovative or memorable. Lucas’ confused screenplay, particularly the rushed climax and unsatisfying denouement, ends things on a low note, although fans of Lifetime films will find familiar comfort in Ashley’s true crime interests and her struggle.
This is fine, but it could have been better.
Lonely Crime Fanatic airs Thursday, February 29 (8pm EST) on Lifetime.
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