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After getting home from our wild Washington, D.C. weekend, I was looking forward to binging on psycho movies and writing about them. I've posted the outcome of "The Wrong Friend," with the Rick Donovan stand in, so I switched to something about women. Despite the picture seen, "Psycho BFF," just filmed last year, is hardly a comedy, but veers occasionally into camp.
There is a lot of contrivance. It has two separate opening sequences. In the first one, Deandra, (Juliana Destefano), the shy, daughter of Renee (Kate Watson) hates the Florida town she is living in, because, as she says all writers (which is what she wants to be) live in New York. I bought all that, but the idea that the too pretty Destefano is a shy thing is beyond credulity. She would be snapped up by the most popular cliques immediately.
The second sequence is a bit more fascinating. Halfway through the story, Olivia (played by Alexandra Doke, looking like she is trying to evolve into a Goth Julianne Moore, with traces of Shelley Plimpton!!!!!!!!!) mentions to Deandra, a friend she had, named Liberty, who died. The second opening scene, looking as though shot in New England, shows Liberty and Olivia arguing. The latter accuses the former of saying she is crazy, and that her mother was, too. Liberty denies all, but she is standing with her back to a bridge overlooking a dry ravine, so, before you know it, Olivia has Liberty flying over that bridge, plunging to her death.
When they meet up, Olivia protects Deandra from the Mean Girls, thereby earning her friendship. Whether Olivia has lived in the town all her life, or has just arrived is never made clear, but she and Deandra become besties, with, of course, the inevitability of Deandra being loosened up by Olivia, to be as non-authoritarian as she. This, of course, does not sit well, with Renee, who forbids her daughter to see Olivia. Neither are having it, so they cook up a scheme to run away to New York, where Olivia can start anew, and Deandra can live with her father. This, without even a high school education, I might add. Right!
You know the rest. With Deandra at her beck and call, Olivia becomes more dangerous. It becomes clear what happened to Liberty, and, as for Olivia's mother, whose death traumatized the girl, was it due to suicide, or did Olivia kill the woman herself? This is hinted at, but never fully explored.
The whole thing culminates in a sleazy motel bathroom fight, with the girls locked in, and Renee and a police officer outside. The girls toss and turn, the shower goes on, they get their hair and T-shirts wet--where is the cream rinse????????--and, twice, Deandra knocks Olivia's head against the bathtub, a la "Fatal Attraction," but, like that better film, Olivia is not dead. The cop finally breaks down the door, Deandra is united with her mother, and Olivia is hauled off somewhere.
The final scene is right out of "Notes On A Scandal." Olivia is seen walking the floor of a psych facility to a lounge. Now, allowing someone as lethal as Olivia to freely walk about is questionable, but I told you the movie was not all on the level. Arriving in the lounge, she finds some mousy thing, curled up in a fetal position. Olivia sits on the sofa, puts her hand warmly on the girl, and says, "Hi...I'm Olivia."
The premise is supposed to be the story beginning all over again. That is what the filmmakers want. However, the actress playing the other girl, who speaks not a word, appears so bat shit crazy herself, I think she could end up giving Olivia a run for her money. In which case, what a fabulous comeuppance for Olivia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This movie will get anyone off the psycho craze.
And if you begin with this one, you will never get addicted.
Let's hope Olivia gets her GED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just another chick flick, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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