THE ROOMMATE - SWF Recycled

THE ROOMMATE (psychological thriller)
Cast: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Danneel Harris, Cam Gigandet, Alyson Michalka, Matt Lanter, Frances Fisher, Katerina Graham, Tomas Arana and Cherilyn Wilson
Director: Christian E. Christiansen
Writer: Sonny Mallhi
Time: 93 mins
Rating: * 1/2 (out of 4)

Minka Kelly and Leighton Meester in THE ROOMMATE

THE INTRO: Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. This slogan seems most apt for The Roommate, an utterly needless (and senseless) remake of the taut 1992 thriller Single White Female which starred Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh. While the SWF plot is being recycled and reused, its tension and suspense are largely reduced into a lame college melodrama not unlike an episode of Gossip Girl which also starred Leighton Meester.

Aly Michalka in the Shower Scene

THE PLOT: Freshman student Sara (Minka Kelly) from Iowa checks into a hostel at the fictional University of Los Angeles and is assigned a new roommate, Rebecca (Meester). However, it doesn't take her long to discover that her new companion is not quite who she seems to be. Soon, Sara's friends, Tracy (Aly Michalka), Irene (Danneel Harris) and Stephen (Cam Gigandet) start to feel the brunt of Rebecca's warped personality.

THE REVIEW: Right from the moment we clap eyes on Rebecca we know there's something wrong with her - but it takes like ages for director Christian E. Christiansen to bring on the thrills and chills. And when he does, it is so derivative and formulaic - like the shower scene borrowed from Psycho. And after another long wait, we get another silly 'scare' - which ultimately culminates in a lame and disappointing ending.

Meester and Kelly (right) are young and beautiful but nothing close to SWF's Fonda-Leigh chemistry. I believe that given a better script and screenplay, they could have done a lot better than being used as eye-candy. Indeed, Gigandet's lines are also badly written and we can't help seeing his role as another eye-candy - for the girls.

THE LOWDOWN: Boring, cliched and forgettable.