Review of Single White Female (1992) by Cal ( — 29 May 2008

"You know, identical twins are never really identical. There is always one that is prettier, and the other one does all the work.".

Single White Female is a typical slasher flick that initially masquerades as a typical by-the-numbers affair in the genre of drama. Time has not been kind to this thriller: it contains shock value and suspense that has steadily dissipated in the decades succeeding its release. Your enjoyment of the film is determined by how interested you are in the genre. If you enjoy a straightforward, overlong thriller with a bit of suspense you might enjoy it. However if you're looking for something more I suggest you give it a pass.

Allison "Allie" Jones (Fonda) is a software designer living in New York City. Despite a moderately successful professional career her personal life is a mess. With her engagement kaput, Allie opts for a roommate. Following a lengthy (irritating) hunt for a roommate, Allie decides to allow a meek, soft-spoken, level-headed single young woman named Hedy (Leigh) to move in with her. At first things seem pleasant and laid back. The two girls share a strong mutual camaraderie and things seem good for a while. But it soon becomes clear that Hedy has developed a gravely unnatural obsession with Allie. This obsession becomes increasingly dangerous when Allie reconciles with boyfriend Sam (Weber), and the three of them end up living together. Hedy's psychotic side is revealed which leads to an intense struggle that finds Allie fighting for her life.

The plot is quite straightforward; however its themes of obsession and jealousy are occasionally rather deep. Like I previously stated, the film begins as a simple drama. There are some absorbing characters (played almost to perfection) and some compelling drama. As a result the film is good fun for about an hour. Then the typical slasher movie clichés kick in. From there the film is a conventional trip into the thriller genre: a few people get killed (with some just refusing to die), some extremely dumb characters doing stupid things, corny script lines, etc. The transformation from drama to slasher could have made some excellent results; however the script is the main problem that keeps this convincingly in the "average thriller" category.

Single White Female is supported by a reasonable cast. Bridget Fonda is able to capture an accurate portrait of her character. Fonda is, for the most part, highly impressive with intensity clearly showing during the suspenseful sequences. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays an interesting character of the psychopathic Hedy. The beauty of Leigh's character is that the point of her obsession is unclear. This is left entirely open for interpretation: it could be a delicate sexual interest or a method of alleviating her severe loneliness. Both Fonda and Leigh are fine in their roles; however there's a seeming lack of passion that potentially could have uplifted the film value.

Single White Female is very intense when the slasher genre takes hold. The climax in particular is intense and bloody. On the contrary it's all extremely predictable and stupid. In the long run there are also no suspects and no mysteries to solve. It's extremely easy to predict the events of each scene. Despite its shortcomings and flaws, Single White Female is worth viewing for those who enjoy some suspense mixed with drama. This film had the potential to be a lot better.