The Roommate

I was browsing films on the LoveFilm Instant service and this one only had a couple of days before being removed, so I thought I'd start watching it. It's an American college film about a girl called Sara who moves into a room on campus, where she is joined by another girl (Rebecca) who moves in as a roommate. Sara is a beautiful, talented fashion designer and has a very sweet personality, mixing with both shy people like Rebecca and more outgoing types like her friend Tracy. What first seems like a sweet natured relationship changes when during the course of the term Rebecca develops a dangerous obsession with Sara. Tracy is scared away from her own friendship with Sara and the lecherous college tutor, played by Billy Zane (the only actor I recognised), is taught a lesson by Rebecca in her obsession's one saving grace! A series of events like these lead up to the film's predictably bloody finale.
I thought the film was well made but to my mind it was a TV movie rather than a blockbuster film. So the level of violence was quite mild but enough to convey some threat without going over the top. Nothing about the film leaves you with any intrigue. There were some gaping holes in the story but these were professionally glossed over in favour of the films momentum. All of the people were pretty good looking, so it is a film easy on the eye and I'd have to say it's an easy one on the brain too: you don't have to think hard to watch and "get" what's happening. It won't win any favours from people who know someone struggling with their mental health, it doesn't even attempt to address Rebecca's problems as anything but "crazy and psychotic". So in summary, this is a watchable TV movie if you aren't choosy about what you see but don't expect it to be anything other than a mildly enjoyable way to pass an hour and a half (preferably somewhere warm and cosy) that you can instantly forget.