Accidental Obsession (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

Knife to Meet You

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 23 December 2015]

A deranged woman escapes from her apparent mental hospital and runs away in slow motion. Quickly, she stabs the bed where another woman is screaming, and buries her victim. Seventy-two hours earlier, wealthy blonde lawyer Josie Davis (as Heather Williams) wins an important court case and receives a promotion at her law firm. While out celebrating with her ethnically-cast friend, the beautiful Ms. Davis meets handsome blond investigator Marc Menard (as Jack Riley). They are mutually attracted. An oilier version of Mr. Menard appears and tries to get Davis' attention. He's her obsessive ex-boyfriend Sebastian Spence (as Ray Johnson)...

As if that wasn't enough to take the wind out of Davis' sails, she gets into a fender-bender with the woman from the opening minutes, psycho killer Caroline Cave (as Vanessa Miller)...

"Accidental Obsession" aka "Hit & Run" is incredibly predictable, but attractively cast and presented. Many of these unhinged psycho TV movies like to open with a attention grabbing teaser. The attention is heightened, but there is certainly no surprise when Ms. Cave makes her appearance. We know something is up, anyway, but a little more mystery would have been welcome. Toby Gorman's flexible photography and David Findlay's smooth score help keep the senses satisfied. Davis and Cave are fine in their roles and manage to be engaging despite the story staying rather routine. This one never really goes off the rails, which would have been fun.

**** Accidental Obsession (2015-06-08) George Erschbamer ~ Josie Davis, Caroline Cave, Marc Menard, Sebastian Spence

The More Things Change...

[Stoshie · 4/10 · 6 October 2020]

...the more they stay the same. At least as far as Lifetime movies go. I mean, really, how many times have we seen this movie before? An obsessed woman wants to take over another woman's life. Gee, that's original. Or it might have been, maybe, in 2015. But since then, if not before, this formula has been used over and over again.

The only interesting thing to watch for here is how many times it is obvious that this was made in Canada. The main character's web page describes her as a "defence" attorney. The subtitles indicate she is cutting a "cheque" to the crazy woman. The jury ruled in "favour" of the defendant. And so on.

I will give LMN some credit for showing an older one of their movies, though. If you look at their schedule every week, you will see they show the same rotation of their more recent movies over and over again. It's nice that they throw in one of their older movies in there once in a while. Even if it is a clunker like this one.

Oh, and I like Josie Davis better when she plays the bad guy. She's better at that than just about any other regular actor in Lifetime movies.

Another overly attached girlfriend

[Chase_Witherspoon · 6/10 · 1 March 2024]

Cave is a twisted girl-stalker whose obsession with lawyer Davis turns deadly. Creepy is an understatement as the diminutive Cave craves the lifestyle of the successful legal eagle, becoming increasingly unhinged but despite the sinister intentions, this Canadian TV psychological thriller is threadbare on plot.

Although imitative of 'Single White Female', there's only so many times a stalker hiding behind trees, peering forlornly through windows and maniacally stabbing pillows can be tolerated before it wears thin. Cave is scarily believable but her character needed better dialogue, whilst the storyline was cheated by a weak climax that lacked imagination.

Economical, brisk-paced telemovie is too superficial and lacking logic to be truly effective, but still possesses enough structure and suspense to be a passable matinee thriller.

Davis and Spencer

[geoffox-766-418467 · 12 March 2016]

This typical LMN plot has been done over and over again. Same theme, same unexpected psycho killer befriending our hero or heroine, same predictable outcome and same "yea" ending. The difference here is the casting of Josie Davis and Sebastian Spence in leading roles. I like these actors very much and they bring mediocre dialogue to believable performances. However, the remaining actors don't do much to add to the excitement. Davis and Spence are acting alone here. Too bad. Still the story keeps you interested and you can't wait for the villain to get the ax.

I give this one several stars for performances by Davis and Spence, two very fine actors. I also like Marc Menard.

With Friends Like Vanessa...

[kathrynradmall · 7/10 · 20 February 2022]

Involved in a minor traffic accident, high-flying lawyer, Heather Williams, assumes an amicable exchange of details and an offer to settle the repair bill, will be an end to the matter. But reckons without the adhesive properties of Vanessa Miller.

As viewers, privy to Vanessa's homicidal tendencies in her former life, we're certain she is Bad News and likely Up To No Good, so it isn't long before the seemingly bland, but perky newcomer has morphed into a drill sergeant-limpet cross.

Showing up uninvited to Heather's dinner á deux with P. I. (and beau-in-waiting,) Jack Riley, and badgering her reluctant BFF into helping with job hunting, jealous Vanessa goes into attack mode when Ray Johnson, Heather's ex, tries to rekindle their romance. As a successful real estate agent, Ray is well-versed in closing a deal, and considers Heather's 'Leave me alone or I'll call the police' as opening negotiations.

Apparently keen to apologize, Rachel arranges to meet Ray at a property he's showing for absent clients. Initially, she tells him Heather is crazy in love and wants him back, then in a dizzying 180 degree turn, seduces him in the kitchen.

Happily, Ray has an ego the size of a gasworks and sees nothing amiss in being pinned to the gas hob by a woman who'd previously threatened him with a sharp implement. Unhappily, Rachel has spiked his merlot with a fast-acting poison (and who doesn't carry potassium cyanide in their purse?) that leaves him gasping like a landed fish and the. Vendors' lovely home, a crime scene.

Between her troubles at work and the discovery that Vanessa is not who or what she seems, Heather needs to work fast to keep both her boss happy, and her social circle from dwindling further.

Josie Davis is unflappable and efficient as the beleaguered Heather, while Caroline Cave does such a nice line in unhinged menace, I instantly feared for the health of Heather's pet budgerigars. The ever-lovely Sebastian Spence as Ray Johnson could just as easily sell snow to a Laplander as a four-bed Colonial, but was bumped off far too soon IMO.

Accidental Obsession provides pleasing distraction and the valuable lesson that following a fender-bender with Vanessa, one should run like the wind.

Fun Lifetime TV Movie

[christinacorriere-163-410583 · 9/10 · 13 July 2015]

I like Josie Davis' latest string of Lifetime movies. This one was good. A "hot shot" lawyer, hot off a big case and on the verge of a promotion gets into a minor traffic accident. The woman who rear-ends her gloms onto her relentlessly to befriend the lawyer. We are flash-backed to the woman being in a mental hospital, seeing the lawyer on television touting her recent winning case which put a notorious criminal behind bars. The crazy woman who escaped the mental hospital is the one who assumed a new identity and has befriended the lawyer woman. One thing to add to continuity- how does a woman who escaped a mental hospital (with no help), and no shown job (source of income), afford an apartment. It might have been wise to show this. Decent, well-acted, nice paced Lifetime movie. I'd suggest it to watch. Not too intense, but good ending as well.

A Friend in Need

[lavatch · 7/10 · 22 March 2020]

What do Anna Burrows, Carla Majors, and Vanessa all have in common? Answer: They are the same psycho who escaped from a nut house, murdered an innocent victim, then stole her identity. The film tells the story of the obsession of "Vanessa" with the successful attorney Heather Williams.

Vanessa is quite the actress as she convinces Heather that she wants to be her friend. But, in her twisted mind, she actually wants to become Heather with all of her wealth, fame, and happiness.

The filmmakers were successful in developing enough intrigue to keep the audience guessing about who actually is Vanessa and why she is stalking Heather. There was a good set of supporting characters, including a sleazy realtor who was Heather's ex-boyfriend, her new beau Jack Reiley, Heather's loyal assistant Lisa, and Saul, the demanding head of the law firm.

The diabolical machinations of Vanessa are constantly on display as she is able to deftly pull the wool over the eyes of Heather. It may have stretched credibility that such a successful attorney as Heather would give the time of day to the woman whose car she rear-ended in an accident. The private investigator Jack was also a little slow in figuring out Vanessa's game, especially after she made a move on him and tried to kiss him.

It was the character of Vanessa who was the show-stealer as she used her intelligence to string along the gullible characters whom she duped. At the close of the film, "Anna" vows that she will once again break out of the psych ward. And who is to believe that she is not capable of accomplishing that goal?

***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 9 August 2015]

Still again Lifetime films shows their never ending theme of someone entering someone else's life and causing absolute havoc. Still again we have a gem of a picture here.

You always have to discover what relationship existed unknown to the woman until film's end that would cause such mayhem.

A highly successful lawyer meets with a traffic accident and the other party soon enters her life and causes havoc at each turn, with the results of murder, mayhem and a career literally put on hold as she has to focus her attention on what is occurring.

The sick woman will stop at nothing to gain her objective. It is utter insanity all the way and the film handles it quite well.

Stalked after a fender bender

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 26 January 2019]

When 2 ladies bond after a fender bender a lawyer becomes the object of obsession of a writer.

Josie Davis is in lots of Lifetime movies and she is quite watchable as the lawyer. The stalker is good too - normal looking enough. Interesting how she dispatches those in her way.