'Obsessed' review

Beyoncé Knowles and Idris Elba (Credit: Suzanne Tenner/Sony)

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Successful businessman Derek (top-billed Idris Elba) is happily married to former assistant Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles) and doesn't seem to have a care in the world. Until he meets sexy new office temp Lisa (Ali Larter), who likes her martinis "filthy" and sets her sights on Derek like a hunter after her prey. If you think Sharon's going to take that lying down, you need to see more movies. Or at least watch the commercial for this one.

The buzz: Trashy thrillers were all the rage in the late '80s/early '90s (think "Fatal Attraction," "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle," "Basic Instinct"). Isn't it about time they made a comeback? Apparently Knowles thinks so. In addition to starring, she's one of six executive producers on this project, along with her father/manager, Matthew Knowles, and mogul/icon Magic Johnson. TV fans might appreciate seeing small screen stars Elba ("The Wire") and Larter ("Heroes") in major movie roles, while the director, Steve Shill, is a veteran of quality TV (including "The Wire," "The Sopranos," "Big Love" and "Deadwood") making his feature debut. But he also directed the pilot for NBC's failed remake of "Knight Rider." And, in a not so good sign, Sony declined to screen this movie for critics before its release.

The verdict: A subpar thriller that falls into the classic B-movie trap of too much mundane dialogue, too little pulse-quickening action. Even with relentlessly tepid material, the cast is game: Knowles has genuine movie star charisma, Larter gives good psycho and Elba could turn up on a Japanese game show and still retain his dignity. Sadly, Shill's flat-footed direction drags their efforts down, while the script by David Loughery ("Lakeview Terrace") stubbornly refuses to raise the dramatic stakes. Lisa emails Derek naughty pictures of herself...fully clothed! She turns up at a work conference and drugs him so she can pretend they had sex! And there's never even a hint of what her motivation is (for all we know she might just be a deranged fan of "The Wire"). While Lisa's underwhelming antics elicit a few "oh no she didn't"s and Sharon's eventual replies get the appropriate "you go girl"s, it's not until the final 15 minutes that "Obsessed" taps into its obvious guilty pleasure potential. The climax arrives in the form of a glorious girl-on-girl smackdown that will someday make a fine clip on YouTube. Until then, do what the actors should've done: hold out for something better.

Did you know? The filmmakers had an interesting strategy for "going green" (and making the most of a low budget). They recycled sets from last year's horror movie "Quarantine" and the upcoming horror remake "The Stepfather."

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