★ 6 / 10
It Was The Final Act That Won Me Over...
talentest
I don't know if its just that for the past month I've been binging far too many of these "Seducing A, Dating A, Married A, Stalked By A", "Wrong, Deadly…
I don't know if its just that for the past month I've been binging far too many of these "Seducing A, Dating A, Married A, Stalked By A", "Wrong, Deadly, Killer, Good, Fatal", "Family Member, or Occupation" "In The Suburbs" movies, but this one really surprised me. Pleasantly surprised me in fact.Typically the way this story goes in every other incarnation of this plot is mom's psychotic new beau gaslights everyone into thinking the main protagonist is out to get him, succeeds in sabotaging her credibility with her friends and her schooling, frames her for something, needlessly spree kills half the cast associated with the family in some way without the mom ever even batting an eye, and then somehow the bad guy evil-genius his end scenario, monologues with a gun, and is only finally taken out by some surprise gunshot from a character who has been opposed to the protagonist the whole movie until now.This movie does none of that (except for the attempted sabotage with her medication). I was very much NOT enjoying the film and annoyed by just about everyone (including the daughter) UNTIL... Until the moment the daughter talks to her dad after she concludes that her mom's new boyfriend just tried to kill her.Suddenly, I am engaged.A protag capable of connecting dots?! Resourceful enough to gameplan, execute, and avoid the usual cliched pitfalls of these type of films (i.e. Bad guy suddenly appearing out of nowhere, bad guy conveniently within earshot of key dialogue, bad guy able to supervillain random acts of plot in his favor).Every time the movie deviated from what typically happens I was even more in:-- When she locks and barricaded her door -- ensured that any conversation about the bad guy happened while she was far from him -- created the "family movie outing" scenario; told her dad to NOT act impulsively and get himself arrested...-- When the movie refrained from having the bad guy suddenly and randomly appear outside after her best friend plants a tracker onto his car -- and even the end (aside from the bestie parking her car out in the open on the one road leading to the bad guy's house) with how it utilized the youngest sister.So despite my praise, my rating is entirely for the final 40 minutes of the movie. Because the plot itself is pretty ludicrous, honestly. Like this con man had a history of targeting single older women who meet untimely ends thus leaving him with their riches... So how does scamming a woman his same age, with kids, and potentially in the midst of an expensive divorce work out for him?
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★ 8 / 10
A Well-Used Bracelet
lavatch
The best scene in "Dating a Sociopath" (a.k.a., "The Sweetheart") took place in a jewelry store where the manager confronts the film's villain Brian McGavin.…
The best scene in "Dating a Sociopath" (a.k.a., "The Sweetheart") took place in a jewelry store where the manager confronts the film's villain Brian McGavin. The jeweler recognizes a returned bracelet as one that he had sold to Brian years ago when Brian was living with an older woman who died under suspicious circumstances. Brian then made a gift of he bracelet to second woman. The jeweler becomes especially concerned when Brian had gifted bracelet to yet third woman, Sam. It was this scene in the jewelry store that first revealed the twisted mind of Brian McGavin.
Sam is the mother of young Jane and little Tilly (Till). She had a falling out with her husband Paul after his reckless driving led to a serious leg injury for the older daughter Jane. Paul has now moved into a hotel, and Sam has moved Brian into the family home.
The most intriguing character in the film is the quick-thinking Jane, who recognizes right away that Brian is a phony. She eventually catches on as well that Brian has substituted placebos for her painkillers, making her recovery process slow and miserable. The actress playing Jane does a good job moving ambling around on crutches and using a cane, which will figure prominently in the physical action of the film.
The filmmakers moved the narrative along at a brisk pace. It was interesting to watch the dissolute father Paul strive to redeem himself after his disgraceful conduct. Jane's bestie Karli added an important tracking device on Brian's car that led to an old hideaway for the grand climax.
The bracelet was a useful metaphor for the shallow behavior of Sam, who fell too fast and too hard for a gold digger as a new sweetheart. It was due to the heroics of Jane limping noticeably through the action that put greater focus on greater the genuine family values that triumphed in the end.
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80%
AUDIENCE
4.7/10
523
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THEY SAID SOMEWHERE IN AUGUST IT WILL BE RELEASED ON BLU RAY