Movie Review: 'Heartthrob'

While MarVista Entertainment is most known for providing made-for-TV films for channels such as Lifetime and Hallmark (among others), it appears they've branched out into making their own original films. One such film is 2017's Heartthrob, which ironically follows a plot that Lifetime fans will no doubt recognize: a teenage boy becoming obsessed with the most popular girl in school.

Except in this iteration, the aforementioned teens aren't in school anymore. Samantha "Sam" Maddox (Aubrey Peeples) was a fairly popular student in high school, though this is primarily for her sexual history, having gone on a string of sexual conquests following her father's tragic suicide. In the wake of the accidental death of her former best friend, Sam meets social outcast Henry Sinclair (Keir Gilchrist), with their initial meeting resulting in an argument. But later on, after another chance meeting, Sam and Henry strike up a friendship that turns into a deep romantic bond. Things initially appear idyllic for the young couple. But when Sam begins to notice that Henry has become fiercely protective of her, she attempts to back out of their relationship. But soon, Sam will learn that Henry is still in love with her—and will do whatever it takes to stay with her forever.

This type of plot dates all the way back to 1987's Fatal Attraction, leaving Heartthrob at the risk of being a cliched and formulaic mess. And there's no doubt Heartthrob hits all the marks on the "Stalker Boyfriend" Bingo card. But despite that, Heartthrob establishes a certain charm that makes it watchable, despite the familiar plotting. Aubrey Peeples and Keir Gilchrist each give great performances and share a romantic chemistry that makes you feel as much about their whirlwind romance as they do. Gilchrist also sells Henry as both a caring boyfriend and an obsessive killer; unlike other villains of his nature, you genuinely believe he is committing the murders to protect Sam out of love, rather than simply becoming angry at anyone besides him having Sam's attention.

The highlight of the plot, on the other hand, comes in the form of the film's conclusion (SPOILER ALERT). After Sam stopped Henry from killing his mother out of a belief that she was responsible for his relationship with Sam deteriorating, Henry commits suicide by stabbing himself in the chest, much to Sam's horror. In the film's final moments, Sam details her college life, having fallen back into her habit of using sex to cope with her emotions. Sam's story culminates in her reminiscing on her time with Henry and, in a heartbreaking confession, reveals that she regrets not telling Henry that she loved him as he told her, with the camera panning away to show that Sam is making this confession at the roller rink where she and Henry had their first date.

This conclusion ends Heartthrob in a way unlike the typical stalker film. Unlike other films, Heartthrob doesn't have Sam's life suddenly go back to normal just because her stalker is dead. Instead, much as the case for real-life victims of stalking and/or toxic relationships, the damage Henry left on Sam will continue on past his demise and take Sam a while to recover from. Even worse, Sam's memories of her initial perfect romance with Henry make her want to overlook Henry's murderous deeds, showing that for all of Henry's flaws, Sam truly did fall in love with Henry and is shattered that her first real love is gone. (SPOILERS OVER)

While the plot certainly won't surprise the typical viewer and the pacing might rub some viewers the wrong way, Heartthrob has enough charm to make for an enjoyable viewing. With great lead performances and a surprisingly deep and authentic feel throughout the piece, Heartthrob is a film that doesn't deserve to be overlooked as another "Psycho Boyfriend" flick.

Score: 8 out of 10 hiccups.