Parents' Guide to

Obsessed

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Fatal Attraction "lite" too risque for young teens.

Movie PG-13 2009 101 minutes
Obsessed Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 8 parent reviews

age 15+

Perfect for older kids i.e. above 18

The importance of self control. The married man could have opted to sleep with the young sexy assistant but he was obligated to his wife and really wanted his marriage to work. Also parents watching with their kids should let them know that this is a movie but that in real life, murder should never be an option to solve differences

This title has:

Too much swearing
Great role models
age 16+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (19):

OBSESSED has an entertaining camp value that saves it from falling completely flat, but it's not nearly as memorable as '80s cultural touchstone Fatal Attraction. Elba, who's a riveting actor (see the first three seasons of HBO's The Wire) deserving of much better roles, is never guilty of even a one-night-stand, unlike Attraction's Michael Douglas. Without that all-important consensual betrayal (and the lack of anything nearly as creepy as a dead rabbit), it's difficult to feel any sympathy for Lisa, the way audiences initially felt for Glenn Close's woman scorned. Poor Derek is simply a victim of a crazy woman's psychosexual delusions, instead of the much more interesting character he would have been had he (almost understandably) accepted Lisa's ridiculously aggressive advances. After all, his wife was once his assistant, too, so he's certainly not above falling for a sexy subordinate.

Ultimately, the whole thing is basically a 90-minute prelude to the much-hyped girlfight between Lisa and Sharon, who's not about to let a nutty vamp destroy her family. For many viewers (as evidenced by at least one audience's adulatory applause and whooping), that showdown is all that matters. But for anyone who still feels a little chill every time they think of a frizzy-haired Close springing up in the bathtub, Obsessed is a midlly amusing disappointment.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: April 24, 2009
  • On DVD or streaming: August 4, 2009
  • Cast: Ali Larter, Beyoncé, Idris Elba
  • Director: Steve Shill
  • Inclusion Information: Black actors
  • Studio: Screen Gems
  • Genre: Thriller
  • Run time: 101 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: sexual material including some suggestive dialogue, some violence and thematic content
  • Last updated: February 25, 2023

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