Movie

Single White Female (1992)

1992 was the year of the psycho-template thriller. Besides The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Basic Instinct, moviegoers were treated to a brilliant performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh as a crazy bitch determined to take over her roommate’s life. The opening phase is slow-burning, but once the villainess has finished with creepy behaviour and nocturnal stalking, she goes on a murderous rampage for the last half hour.

Allison Jones (Allie for short) is a software designer who specialises in fashion products. When her boyfriend Sam cheats on her and a sleazy businessman reneges on a contract, Allie puts out a newspaper ad seeking a single white female. Several candidates apply for the tenancy, and most are weirdos who don’t impress. Allie instantly takes a liking to Hedra – nicknaming her Hedy – and things seem to be on the up. But thriller fans will know that the “nice” people are often the most dangerous.

The eerie New York apartment building has an incinerator in the basement, a creaky old elevator with a screwdriver stored nearby to fix the door, and vents with no soundproofing. Allie provides exposition when she gives Hedy a welcome tour, and these details all come into play later. The women start off on good terms. They socialise, eat out, and discuss their romantic problems. Best enjoy the calm, Allie, because it’s all downhill from here.

The warning signs start when Hedy purchases a puppy and pretends it was given away, only to kick the dog (literally) and snap when Allie leaves her alone one night. Psycho episodes continue as Hedy imitates Allie’s behaviour and interferes with her life. The roommate dates Sam, purchases matching clothes, and even dyes her hair and styles it to match. Identity theft, crazy style.

Villainess

Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh)

It’s never made clear why Hedy is so obsessed with becoming Allie. The heroine finds a shoebox of old letters and news clippings about Hedy’s sister drowning in an accident, so childhood trauma is the vague explanation. That doesn’t matter much since we get a chilling performance from Jennifer Jason Leigh. Even in the action-lite first two acts, she’s a constant threat.

Finally, realising Hedy is dangerous, Allie discusses her concerns with a tenant on the floor below. Unfortunately, their voices carry through the vents, and Hedy listens in on the entire conversation. After Allie leaves, the gloved psycho sneaks in and knocks the tenant out with a pole. That’s one problem dealt with.

Next, Hedy has sex with Sam, posing as Allie until he sees through her deception. After an angry rejection, the loony snaps and throws a high heel at him. That one hits the door, but her second shoe becomes a bizarre murder weapon when she swings its pointed end into Sam’s eye.

Allie learns of the tragedy after it’s reported on television and then discovers Hedy’s blood-smeared high heel in the bathroom. Of course, that’s when the villainess returns to the apartment, and Allie is a poor liar, so gives herself away. The killer puts on her black gloves and pulls a gun on her roommate, but Allie can only cower in terror.

Done playing games, Hedy reverts to being a brunette, takes her hostage to the flat downstairs, and binds her prisoner to a chair with duct tape. Allie sees an opportunity after Hedy leaves, so turns up the volume on the television to attract attention, but it would never be that simple. The psycho returns just as the staff are about to force entry. Of course she does! The heroine attempts to send an e-mail message when Hedy has her book some plane tickets, but the villainess expects that move.

Earlier in the film, dodgy businessman Myerson attempted to assault Allie, and she broke off dealings with him. He’s past due on paying an invoice, so his computer records are automatically wiped. Heading over to Allie’s place to confront her, he instead finds Hedy. She feigns ignorance, but that lie is exposed when Myerson notices a suitcase with Allie’s name tag. After forcing his way into the room, he finds the tied-up occupant. A struggle follows with Hedy apparently taken care of, but the still conscious villainess finishes Myerson with a gunshot and the old cushion muffling trick. His unlikely redemption arc didn’t last long.

Hedy forces Allie to fake a suicide note and take pills, but the heroine smashes a glass into her captor’s face and breaks free. That’s when the (still alive!) tenant makes a dramatic reappearance, does his hero thing, and buys Allie precious time. The heroine drags Hedy out into the hallway, which leads to a prolonged fight in the elevator where the villainess seemingly strangles her roommate to death.

Hedy prepares to incinerate the “body”, but finds Allie gone when she returns. Arming herself with a sharp hook, the killer searches the basement for her quarry. There’s a tense sequence where she bangs on furniture and smashes things up. But after hiding on a pipe, Allie surprises Hedy and stabs the crazy woman with the screwdriver (remember that?). The tough to kill woman clings on for a little while – enough to give Allie a scare – before she succumbs to her wound.