Secret Obsession is a psychological thriller based on the very familiar premise where a woman-with-amnesia is manipulated by a possessive male, who pretends to be her husband. Promising at the outset, the movie loses its grip and dallies along predictable lines without very good execution.
The opening sequence builds tension as Jennifer(Brenda Song) flees an unseen danger in the pouring rain, from the assailant who is trying to kill her. I felt I was going on a great ride because such scenes set a gripping tone so well. I tried to control my terrified gasping as I watched on. And then she gets hit by the car and is rushed to the hospital, in an ambulance.
She survives, but with fractures and a messed up brain – amnesia. Then Mr 'handsome' Russell claims to be her husband without any means of solid identification but just by a tattoo on her back, are you kidding me? No relatives, no friends, no colleagues from workplace, just a common tattoo. Now that is definitely dumb!
When Russell is informed by a doctor that Jennifer has lost her memory, he asks, "Does my wife know who I am or not?," and the doctor says "no." From this point, I saw where this was going.... The thrill of suspense for me, evaporated into thin air.
Apart from the fact that it does have a very predictable storyline which comes so very soon in the movie that Russell is an impostor, and thus much suspense is lost, the viewers have pretty much guessed the plot well before the film's climax.
After an enthralling initiation, the story slows down, and becomes more thrashy down the line, dots that didn't connect, lack of plot and character development as in the case of Russell and the guy with the bouquet of flowers, whom he strangled to death. Jennifer's parents' bodies were already decomposing in their bedroom and no neighbourly neighbor noticed anything.
There's nothing very special in Mike Vogel's Ryan (posing as Russell). He has a one-dimensional character, and his obsession is explained very superficially.
Brenda Song's Performance was good because she gave a account of herself as Jennifer, playing fear, confusion, and determination in her character.
Dennis Haysbert as Detective Page was a straightforward character, of a grieving detective who was committed to justice.
My verdict;
Secret Obsession promises a good... thriller but it comes with little originality or depth to set it apart from similar movies in the genre. The performances are commendable, but the story lacks surprise and creativity, and this makes it a forgettable experience.
It’s a decent one-time watch but fails to leave any lasting impression. I wouldn't watch a second time so I am rating it a 5/10.
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