YOU GET ME

US, 2017, 89 minutes, Colour.

Bella Thorne, Halston Sage, Taylor John Smith, Nash Grier.

Directed by Brent Bonacorso.

This is a film about sexual obsessions and madness. It is fair to say that it has been seen many times. So many films with obsession in the title as well as “Fatal…”. Quite clearly this is another Fatal Attraction and a commentator remarking that he was waiting for the “boiled bunny” sequence.

But, this is fatal attraction amongst teenagers. Which means that it may be of interest to younger audiences who have not seen this familiar story so many versions. For older audiences, not recommended.

The familiar conventions are here, the focus on the male, good-looking, competent, pleasant at home with his little sister, his girlfriend. But, while it might have been credible on paper, his behaviour when he discovers that a party that she is not a virgin, it has such an effect on him that he becomes so morose, drinks, teams up with the femme fatale and then spends the night and the next day with her. Given his upright background, this does not make much sense.

He is played by Taylor John Smith who had significant moments in When the Crawdads Sing. The femme fatale is played by Bella Thorne, not unfamiliar with this kind of role. At first she is sympathetic, but only for a moment, then seductive, then possessive, the progress of madness, jealousy, targeting the hero’s girlfriend, making friends with her only to wreak vengeance on her, reactions to her mother even to killing her, the audience finding the truth about her past behaviour and identity, and then her targeting of the hero.

So, familiar material, no surprises, a questioning of the credibility of the central character and her madness, of the young man and his consistency in behaviour or not, and the puzzle about the title of who is you and who is me and who gets whom.