Film Review: 'My Teacher, My Obsession'

With her mother having left after months of infidelity, Riley Sumner (Laura Bilgeri) and her father Chris (Rusty Joiner) are in a new town in an effort to put their lives back together. With Riley struggling with the move, along with having her father as her new English teacher, she is thankful to make a fast friend in Kyla Wilde (Lucy Loken), an outcast student with a penchant for photography.

As Kyla and Riley's friendship blossoms, Kyla takes a liking to Chris, and is surprised when he begins dating her mother Jess (Jana Lee Hamblin). But unbeknownst to Chris and Riley, Kyla's admiration of Chris has actually become an obsession—and as her attachment grows, Kyla proves that there are no lengths she won't go to in order to secure the object of her desire.

With Lucy Loken preparing to make her official debut to Lifetime with the soon-to-be aired Trapped Model, I decided I would re-visit My Teacher, My Obsession, a film produced by MarVista Entertainment that was amongst a select few movies in their catalog that made their premiere on Netflix. From its opening credits playing over darkroom photography work, to the mood building use of lighting, it is clear that My Teacher, My Obsession is aiming for a stylized, almost sensual aesthetic, which is well-suited given the sensually driven story.

While the plot of a teenager becoming psychotically obsessed with a teacher is not unheard of, particularly in the realm of Lifetime where this film indirectly resides, My Teacher, My Obsession is made unique through not only its aesthetic, but by the way its plot unfolds. As we see Kyla insert herself into Riley and Chris' lives, and hints of her true nature are dropped throughout the first and second acts, viewers are left pondering just what Kyla's endgame is, and how far she's willing to go to see her desires become reality. The inclusion of student Tricia Wilson (played with wonderfully over-the-top "Mean Girl" zest by Alexandria DeBerry), and Kyla's mother being Chris' love interest add further layers to the action, and while these elements are unfortunately underutilized as the story progresses, they will come as surprises to those coming into the film expecting no-frills action.

The film's greatest strength, however, comes in the form of Kyla Wilde, played expertly by Lucy Loken. In addition to dropping hints to her true nature throughout the beginning of the film, Loken plays Kyla's more psychotic moments in the same effectively subdued manner as her lesser moments, allowing Kyla to become a strong and menacing villainess without relying on histrionics to convey herself as a genuine threat. Loken also injects such a level of charm into Kyla's teenage seductress role that you can't help but fall in love with her, even as the film's intense climax shows off her darker side.

Rusty Joiner plays well off of Loken, with Chris and Kyla's first encounter being made memorable by the playful jabs they give each other. This synergy continues as their relationship becomes sultry before dissolving into toxicity, with Joiner and Loken keeping that dynamic lively, and almost making one wish their illicit relationship could work. On his own, Joiner maintains likability as Chris finds himself entangled in Kyla's web, and at risk of losing his career, and his relationship with his daughter. There was a poignant moment in which Chris opens up about his feelings of emptiness in the wake of his divorce and this was very well-handled by Joiner, and allowed his previous "Cool Teacher/Dad" moments (which could border on annoying or cheesy for some viewers) to take on a new, tragic light with this revelation when you realize they were a mask for his hidden turmoil.

Laura Bilgeri is similarly sympathetic as Riley, replicating Joiner's strong chemistry with Loken as the two girls start a fast friendship that the audience knows is doomed to fail. Jana Lee Hamblin's Jess, unfortunately, proves to be the least interesting of the film's least interesting characters. While Hamblin tries what she can to make Jess likable and sympathetic, as her daughter schemes against her, the story ultimately leaves Jess one-note, along with having her all too easily duped by Kyla into believing Chris is no good. And as stated before, the plot points revolving around Jess and Chris dating and Tricia being fixated on Chris almost as much as Kyla could've been used for some interesting dynamics, but are ultimately dropped before their full potential can be realized.

While the hanging plot threads could be frustrating to some viewers, My Teacher, My Obsession ultimately proves itself to be an excellent watch for fans of sultry Lifetime seduction thrillers, with a strong villainess, well-structured build-up, and an exceptionally dark and intense climax making it perfect for a late night watch. This is one MarVista film that not only delivers, but excels at bringing its A-game to the table.

Score: 9 out of 10 scalpels.