Directed by Paul Thompson, Stalkers delivers a tense, character-driven thriller with a sharp, knife-like edge. Written by Luke Sneyd and Maryna Gaidar, the film blends personal drama and suspense with a steady, unnerving pace.
Former adult film star Kate (Olivia Stadler), known in the industry as Tabitha, is burned out from the business and longing for a different life. After enduring a degrading “audition” from a top producer, she decides to leave porn behind. She receives a life-changing call from her old high school acquaintance, Justine (Allisha Pelletier), now working at Child Protective Services. It appears that Kate’s biological daughter, Charlotte (Scarlett DiCaro), whom she gave up for adoption, has been orphaned after the brutal murders of her adoptive parents. If Kate doesn’t take her in quickly, Charlotte will be placed in foster care.
Kate travels to her hometown to reconnect, only to find her religious parents unwilling to welcome her back. Charlotte is distant and resentful, having just endured unimaginable loss. Charlotte’s attitude toward Kate is ice-cold. It’s probably not a good idea to reveal her profession at this point.
After settling in at their seedy motel, Kate unexpectedly runs into another high school acquaintance, the nerdy Mike (Abbas Wahab), who offers her and Charlotte a place to stay in his lavish home. As they try to adjust to their new life together, the shadow of the killings lingers and is still thirsty for blood. Charlotte remembers seeing a mysterious man with an umbrella outside her window on the night of her parents’ deaths, hinting that the danger is far from over.
Corey (Sam Wexler) gasps for air in a tense underwater moment from Stalkers.
“Charlotte remembers seeing a mysterious man with an umbrella outside her window…”
For Kate and Charlotte, getting their lives back on track is far from easy. Kate’s previous life is not exactly parenting material, and drinking helps take the edge off her trauma. It also doesn’t help that Charlotte’s “friends” are starting to figure out Kate’s adult film past. Charlotte also hasn’t had time to process her parents’ brutal death. And lastly, the killer is still on the loose. It’s the villain, just a random killer, or is there a conspiracy at play involving Kate and Charlotte?
Stalkers is a nice, solid thriller. The opening moments are perfect as director Paul Thompson could easily make a Hallmark movie. Mom, Dad, and Charlotte are having a familial love orgy. Then it all comes crashing down. Who wouldn’t love that? Right after the title sequence, we’re on a porn set. One of the best opening sequences of a movie.
I would say that Stalkers elevates the serial killer genre, but it does check all the right boxes, except for nudity. It has a sympathetic, yet flawed, heroine protagonist. There’s a good reason for her to be in a mansion that’s a death trap. We’ve got suspicious suspects with enough motives and alibis to keep you on edge. Lastly, the hapless pair of teens going at it hot and heavy…did I mention one is a virgin?
Olivia Stadler and Scarlett DiCaro are perfect as Kate and Charlotte. Both give strong performances, which keeps the crazy story and character well intact. The blood and kills are at times gruesome. You know, there’s very little to criticize about this B-horror film, other than it’s a B-horror film.
Stalkers is a well-crafted thriller that embraces its genre. The film opens with a great story setup and ends with gruesome kills and a flawed heroine worth rooting for. It’s a gripping mix of danger, family drama, and mystery that keeps you guessing until the final moments.
"…Did I mention one is a virgin?"
