So often these days major horror films are given vast
amounts of attention, spurred on by critics who rarely see horror films and are
stunned by what they see. But for fans of horror most of those films are
nowhere near the terrifying experience or enjoyable night at the movies that
these critics think they are. True horror fans find the movies that stir them
more on the fringes than in the mainstream press reviews. Those films are often
small on budget and huge on fright, often far more interesting and original
than those major releases. Like THE CLEANING LADY.
Alice (Alexis Kendra) is a young woman on her own with an
addiction to love. Not intimacy or sex but love. She currently finds herself in
an affair with a married man who continues to promise he will leave his wife
for her one day. Attending group therapy for her addiction complete with a
sponsor she swears off the relationship and plans to stick to her no contact
promise. Working out of her home as a high end and in demand beautician Alice
can afford to live well and on her own. She has no monetary need for Michael,
the man she’s drawn to.
When her drain clogs Alice contacts her landlord about the
problem. One day she comes home to find Shelly (Rachel Alig), a severely burn
scarred young woman, taking care of the problem. Needing someone to clean her
apartment she offers to pay Shelly in cash to avoid the landlord knowing to do
so and Shelly accepts. From this an infatuation develops.
We already know something is up with Shelly having watched
her in the opening moments of the film toss three live rats into a blender
before serving them up to someone hidden in a trailer. But none of that is
brought up until later in the film. For now she’s content to find a sort of
friendship with Alice. Alice is just being kind to someone less fortunate but
Shelly thinks of it as something more.
Things become even stranger when one night Shelly creeps in
and chloroforms Alice. While out she makes a mold of Alice’ face and then
replicates it to create a latex mask that she wears when on her own, all
without Alice having knowledge of what took place. Soaking in Alice’ tub when
she’s away, dressing in her clothes, this brings to mind films like SINGLE
WHITE FEMALE with a bit of a twist.
As things progress we learn Shelly’s back story. Perhaps
with one of the worst mothers in history we watch as her mother pimps her out
at a young age. We see the problems the two face. And eventually we learn how
Shelly was scarred. But the scars she has inside rival those on the surface and
just how those will affect what takes place makes for the fright found in this
film.
Well shot, well directed, well written and performed by
actresses who may not be what Hollywood considers A-listers but who should be
this movie will hold your interest from start to finish. It takes the time to
develop the story that is involved here, both from the viewpoint of Alice and
her needs and those of Shelly and hers. The combining of these stories that
wrap around one another until the final story becomes one is will done.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I put this one in to
watch. After viewing it and while I enjoyed it I wasn’t even sure if I’d ever
watch it again. But the more time that passes since that first viewing the more
I think I will. For me it was that good. Repeat viewings are something that
help me judge how good a movie is. So take my word on it, this one is a solid
horror film that will have you guessing and watching from start to finish.
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