Our top 5 stalker movies and what we learnt from them
Movies often mirror reality. A good stalker movie should leave you shuddering in your seat, looking over your shoulder and rethinking your entire security framework. Arranged in chronological order are our favourite stalker movies and a few lessons we picked up from them. If you are a movie buff, you may have seen at least three of them. Let’s dive in!
Fatal Attraction (1987)
After a weekend affair, Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) ends things with Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), but she is unwilling to let go. The mentally unstable woman makes a hobby of stalking Dan’s entire family, and she does not stop until it ends in a gory situation.
Phone booth (2002)
When Stuart Shepard (Colin Farrell) picks up the phone in a public phone booth out of curiosity, he has no idea that the person on the other end has stalked him long enough to know everything about him. Stu spends the entire day on the phone, facing the consequences of previous wrong decisions and misdemeanours. He barely manages to escape alive.
Obsessed (2009)
Derek Charles (Idris Elba) is married to Sharon (Beyonce) in this classic. He persistently turns down overtures from Lisa (Ali Larter), a young temp in his office, but has no idea how far she is willing to go to be with him. When her obsession graduates from stalking to break-ins and bolder attacks, Sharon steps in to put Lisa in her place and save the day.
Friend Request (2017)
When happy-go-lucky Laura (Alycia Debhnam-Carey) accepts a Facebook friend request from Marina (Liesl Ahlers), what she gets is way more than she bargained. Disappointed that Laura does not reciprocate her friendship to the degree she anticipated, Marina begins to cyber-stalk and physically stalk Laura until she leads them both into a gruesome situation.
Greta (2019)
Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a sweet young lady who recently moved to New York, eager to make friends. When a chance encounter with a missing bag on the subway brings her in contact with Greta (Isabelle Huppert), she becomes the target of a widely experienced but well-disguised stalker.
Our top 5 lessons
- The biggest risk comes from familiar people; stalkers are hardly ever total strangers. Re-evaluate encounters with people and put the right boundaries in place.
- Functionality should trump aesthetics if you are choosing between both factors. Transparent glass walls may look stunning, but if they compromise your security, it is time to make a change.
- Always change the locks when you move into a new property, even if the apartment has the latest and most amazing commercial locks. It’s an added expense that is well worth the trouble.
- Change security passwords and alarm codes often and share only when it is necessary. Refuse the temptation to use easy-to-guess information such as your initials and birthdate as security passwords.
- Share responsibly, social media can give you away. Double-check your posts to ensure you are not giving away any information that can compromise your security.
Conclusively, one truth that shines through all these movies is the fact that modern security technology is not negotiable. Stalkers and intruders are getting smarter and more brazen by the day. The best option is to keep them locked out.
Got a few more lessons to add or good stalker movies to recommend? Head on to our Instagram page to share your thoughts.