For some reason, I thought this was going to be The Asylum's version of Swimfan so I was pleasantly surprised as the plot began to play out that it was nothing of the sort. No crazy girlfriends here but instead we get an intimate view of a family being torn apart by a sexual assault against the teenage son. Elements of various revenge and obsession flicks are present but are not magnified to be cinematic as in some other movies. By showing these elements in a more restrained manner, they have a disturbing effect on the audience as the pain that the family goes through is much more believable and tragic.

Linda Cropper stars as Kate, a working mother who lives in a nice home with her husband Phil (Jeff Truman) and their only child Matt (Wade Osborne). Their happiness does not last long after Matt meets a fun and sexy girl named Rachel (Anna Lise Phillips) who seems like the ultimate girlfriend after they have first-date fun at the local arcade and then playing basketball. This joy is short-lived, however, because on their next meeting they run into Rachel's friend Nick (Scott Major) and the two of them tie up Matt and shame him in an assault that contains the psychological elements of a rape (and involves Phillips removing her top). After the assault, Matt is left on the bed to be found by his mother and the once-perfect family is faced with a long healing process that includes confusion, anger, and sadness. Kate eventually takes it upon herself to find the people responsible for damaging her family and making them pay for what they have done in one way or another. Rather than simply lashing out with violence, Kate attempts to right the psychological wrongs that we inflicted on her son as a result of the assault.

The thing that makes this movie work is the fact that director Julie Money does not dwell on the various events of the film but keeps moving the plot forward as Kate's obsession with finding her son's attackers grows. While I sometimes found myself questioning the morality of some of Kate's actions, I could understand why she did the things she did even though her actions were not always the most prudent. This made sense because the character was acting more on instinct to protect her child than logic or reason. Rather than simply being motivated by the simple act of revenge, Kate was more in search of an answer as to why a trio of bad apples would target her family and attempt to destroy the solid unit that they built together. As she discovered the reasoning behind the act, I think the she, like us, was more horrified by the complete lack of remorse than the act itself. By the end of the film, we are left as frustrated as the lead characters and it is this feeling of helplessness that haunts us.

Anna Lise Phillips was excellent as Rachel as she effortlessly changed from a dream girl to a monster in a matter of seconds. The potential dealbreaker in this flick was the portrayal of Matt by Wade Osborne. This part was integral to the film and Osborne brought the confusion of the character to the screen and it is his actions that drive the movie forward moreso than anybody. It is too bad that this complex young actor does not have any other credits to his name. After watching a string of terrible Australian movies in the last few months, it was nice to have something decent from down under to restore my faith in the film industry in that country. And from The Asylum to boot! (Josh Pasnak, 10/21/07)

Directed By: Julie Money.
Written By: Jeff Truman.

Starring: Linda Cropper, Anna Lise Phillips, Jeff Truman, Wade Osborne.

aka: Envy.

Picture Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: Non-anamorphic transfers make me sad. That being said, it looked pretty good but would have looked much better if it filled my screen.

Extras: We get three short deleted scenes with an introduction from director Julie Money. Next is a four-part featurette on the making of the film. This is basically an interview with Money and writer/star Jeff Truman that felt a little like it was slapped together the night before the DVD was to be printed. Rounding out the extras are a few trailers including one for The New Girlfriend.