FANatic
Canada, 2017, 90 minutes, Colour.
Betsy Brandt, Benjamin Arthur, Katie Breier, Alison Louder, Stefanie Drummond, Jake Epstein.
Directed by Jean François Rivard.
Beware mad fans.
Betsy Brandt and Benjamin Arthur portray a married couple, actors, stars of a cable series which has been playing for seven years. It is a kitschy kind of version of Star Trek with costumes derivative, with dialogue even more derivative. The cable TV fans have liked it, a heroine but always in distress and rescued by the hero.
But this is the background to the main story which focuses on Katie Breier as the loyal assistant to the couple, getting everything ready, providing the scripts, rehearsing… She seems a very earnest young woman. However, she has her own little band of loyal fans with their dress, with their language from the television series. She is also building up a shrine to the show. In fact, by Kathy Bates in Misery, she is the number one fan of the show.
The actress is thinking of leaving, is offered a lead in a play. Her husband, on the other hand, is very satisfied with his career and his salary. The fanatic and also gets a crush on the actor, setting him up and filming him in compromising situations – and this being released on social media, providing a crisis for the couple, setting up a mad finale for the fan, and threats to lives, as well as the death of one of her friends and of the series writer.
Not bad as this kind of film goes!
1. Title, the emphasis, the tone?
2. The horror genre? The mad fanatic? The targets? Manipulation? Outbursts into violence?
3. The basic presupposition? The married couple, stars on cable television, the limited outreach, ambitions for better things? The science fiction story – with the touch of the ludicrous, make up, costumes, dialogue, behaviour? The fan and her devotion to the show?
4. The American city, the studio sets, the trailers, apartments, the fan and her huge set up with relics from the show? The exhibition in Atlantic City? Echoes of Star Trek, space stories, language, appearances, fans and their devotion? The musical score?
5. Audience response to the show? Seeing Tess in her make-up and costume? With Hunter? Growing sympathy with them? The seven years, Tess wanting something better, the offer of the play, Hunter satisfied that he had a star and salary? Tess and the sexism of the plots, male rescuing female? The writer indicating that this was what fans wanted?
6. Nikki, assistant, present, alert, attractive, with the pages, rebuked by the writer, defended by Tess? Her friends, devotion to the show, their own language, pledges? The two friends and their personalities, costumes? Dana and her devotion? Charmaine and her scepticism?
7. Nikki, her boasting, stealing things, the woman at the exhibition and hitting her, taking her week? Her boasting about the affair? Drugging Hunter, in bed, the photo, showing to her friends? The identifying tattoo? The friend putting it online, everybody knowing? Nikki suspecting Charmaine? The truth about Dana?
8. Tess, her upset, Hunter’s past behaviour, her inability to perform? Nikki taking her to the motel, there in secrecy? Hunter and his concern?
9. Tess, the conversation with the writer, wanting to be out of the show, intending to take the performance in the play, the clash with Hunter and his desperation about the performance of the show?
10. Nikki’s reaction to Tess wanting out, hitting her over the head, abducting her, the elaborate cell? Tess and her pleading? The two friends, Dana and her devotion to Hunter, Charmaine and her criticism, Nikki pushing her down the stairs? The visit of the police? Hunter arriving, in the cell?
11. Trying to deal with Nikki? The explanations, her brothers and building them sci-fi sets, a remark about a psychologist and control? Her absolute devotion to the show, Dana and her wanting to let them free, Nikki killing her, putting on the armour, the fight from the show with Tess? Nikki’s being arrested?
12. The finale, Nikki in jail, watching the show, the others laughing, her devotion?
