Cheat

The dramatic thriller Cheat differs from your typical marriage gone bad or bored spouses. Instead, it is highly charged with unusual characters paired with anger, victim issues, bizarre obsessions, and cruelty, where some S&M scenarios are shockingly played out. Deriving pleasure from pain is the underlying theme of Cheat, which reveals the underbelly of jealousy and broken trust in a failing marriage.

In Cheat, there’s much involved in the punishment and deceit efforts between married couple Zoe (Shelby Handley) and Chris (Ry Barrett). Zoe, unhappily married, is having a torrid, sexy affair with her Latin lover Adam (Rodrigo Massa), a slightly erotic fashion and model photographer in his photo studio loft loaded with sex appeal. From the onset, the film is set for something bizarre, as the opening introduces Zoe in the aftermath of her situation—beaten up and off-base, almost psycho, and then quickly moves to a sexy romp with Zoe and Adam, where the story really begins.

Not too long after her midday rendezvous, Zoe is working at her gallery, where she is aloof and disconnected. We discover she is married to Chris, a DEA agent, revealing extremely polarizing scenarios, as he is running drug busts—combative with a vibe of pleasure in brutality. He is possessive of Zoe and rough. Soon after Adam seeks out Zoe as he has been attacked in a home invasion, he warns her that Chris knows, which Zoe thinks is impossible, or is it? Pleading for Zoe to leave, Adam ends their affair.

“…Zoe, unhappily married, is having a torrid, sexy affair with her Latin lover Adam…”

Not much later, Chris, intent on a special evening with Zoe, supposedly to save their marriage plans a sexy evening. However, plans flip when Zoe is kidnapped and taken to an abandoned warehouse. Here, she is tortured by a large, black-masked man who has several torture devices, which he uses on Zoe. Chris ends up with her, and eventually, the two escape.

Detective Lee (Jay Wong) is brought in to investigate the supposed hotel kidnapping. Lee emits an odd vibe of not understanding the circumstances but also protecting Chris because of his DEA status. Zoey is in shock, but we know Chris planned everything, including what happened to Adam—he’s just too possessive and dictatorial. Yet, there’s more to this jealous, psychopathic journey with a twist for an ending. Cheat offers an experience one hardly expects, especially in battered emotional revenge.

Cheat is rough and tough with an overarching film noir feel, especially in its art direction and settings. Although the characters fulfill their motivations, they could use more depth, especially in their dialogue. Throughout, someone always asks how Zoe feels, which gets a bit old and perhaps odd, but it eventually has its place. The dramatic music acting as a precursor for what’s to come is a bit of a spoiler but is needed to add to the suspense. Although the characters are not entirely flushed out, they are reactive enough to move the thriller element forward.