Fatal Affair

Last updated
Fatal Affair
Poster for Fatal Affair.png
Promotional poster
Directed by Peter Sullivan
Written by
  • Rasheeda Garner
  • Peter Sullivan
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Eitan Almagor
Edited byRandy Carter
Music byMatthew Janszen
Production
company
  • Hybrid Films
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • July 16, 2020 (2020-07-16)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Fatal Affair is a 2020 American psychological thriller film directed by Peter Sullivan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rasheeda Garner. It stars Nia Long, Omar Epps, Stephen Bishop, and KJ Smith.

Contents

It was released on July 16, 2020, by Netflix.

Plot

Ellie Warren is a successful attorney living with her husband Marcus who is recovering after a horrible car accident. They have just moved into a new house on the coast from the city of San Francisco now that their daughter Brittany has left for college. Ellie meets her firm's new tech consultant, David Hammond, who she has not seen since college twenty years ago. She remains unaware that David is in anger management therapy following an incident with a woman named Deborah. Ellie and David initially meet for drinks, but the situation turns sexual as they go to the bathroom of a club, although Ellie resists. Afterwards, David stalks her via phone calls, texts, viewings of her house from a distance, breaking into her home, hacking into her home security system, sending her a package, and dating Ellie's friend Courtney. This is all despite Ellie's warnings to stay away from her and her family.

Ellie learns from another one of her former college classmates that David murdered his ex-wife Deborah and her new boyfriend a few months after the divorce. Ellie sends Courtney an e-mail with information about Deborah's murder and how David likely committed it, but David deletes it. Ellie is horrified to see him golfing with Marcus. She convinces the concierge at David's building to let her into his apartment, where she finds pictures of Deborah and of herself taken from afar on his computer. As Ellie calls Courtney about the pictures, David gets to Courtney’s place and attacks her. She is found bleeding from the head by Ellie and taken to the hospital. With the police now looking for David, he tries to pull a trick on the public by making them think he committed suicide; he sets a homeless man on fire with a suicide note. The police find all the evidence in his home, including a confession for his ex-wife’s murder.

One night, Ellie gets a message from her assistant (presumably from David) to sign some documents. Ellie stops by her office and finds her assistant murdered on the floor. Ellie rushes home and calls the police, before she finds David alive and knocks him unconscious with a vase. She encounters the corpse of Brittany's boyfriend Scott, and finds Marcus and Brittany tied up. She frees them as the police arrive, but David kills a cop. As Brittany gets into her car and drives away, a fight ensues between Marcus, David, and Ellie, which ends with David falling to his death on a beach cliffside. A few months later, Marcus and Ellie send Brittany back to school, and their house is for sale.

Cast

Production

In October 2019, Deadline reported that Netflix had partnered with Hybrid Films with Peter Sullivan directing the film project. [1] Nia Long, Omar Epps and Stephen Bishop were attached to star in the film, with Sullivan and Rasheeda Garner writing the script. [1] Long, Barry Barnholtz, Brian Nolan and Jeffrey Schenck would serve as producers on the film. [1] In November 2019, it was announced KJ Smith had joined the cast of the film. [2] Principal photography for the film took place on location in Los Angeles, California in 2019. [4]

Release

The film was released on July 16, 2020 by Netflix. [5] [6] [7] It was the top-streamed film on the site in its debut weekend, then placed sixth the following weekend. [8] [9]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 19% and an average rating of 3.7/10, based on 37 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: "As basic as its title, Fatal Affair gets lost between 'so bad it's good' and 'barely there.'" [10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 34 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [11]

Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a "C−" and wrote: "Too chaste to be a Fatal Attraction ripoff and far too dull to approach the hammy charms of Obsessed the greatest assets of Peter Sullivan's Fatal Affair are stars Nia Long and Omar Epps. They keep this from looking and feeling like a limp Lifetime movie knockoff." [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Epps</span> American actor and musician

Omar Hashim Epps is an American actor, rapper, and producer. Epps's film roles include Juice, Higher Learning, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love & Basketball. His television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the medical drama series ER, J. Martin Bellamy in Resurrection, Dr. Eric Foreman on the Fox medical drama series House from 2004 to 2012, and Isaac Johnson in the TV series Shooter from 2016 to 2018. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nia Long</span> American actress (born 1970)

Nia Talita Long is an American actress. Best known for her work in Black cinema, Long rose to prominence after starring in the film Boyz n the Hood (1991), and for her portrayal of Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991–1995). She then appeared in Friday (1995), as well as the 1997 films Love Jones and Soul Food.

Peter Sullivan is an American screenwriter, film director, and film producer. He has more than 150 producing credits and directed more than 40 movies, most of them was made-for-television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Bishop (actor)</span> American actor

Stephen C. Bishop is an American actor and former baseball player. He was a regular cast member in the television series Being Mary Jane (2013–15), Imposters (2017–18) and Run the World (2021–23). Bishop also appeared in films Friday Night Lights (2004), Moneyball (2011), 'Til Death Do Us Part (2017) and Fatal Affair (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasha Smith</span> American actress, director and producer

Tasha Smith is an American actress. She began her career in a starring role on the NBC comedy series Boston Common (1996–97), and later appeared in numerous movies and television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India Eisley</span> American actress (born 1993)

India Joy Eisley is an American actress. On television, she is known for her roles as Ashley Juergens in the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–2013), Audrina in the Lifetime film My Sweet Audrina (2016), and Fauna Hodel in the TNT series I Am the Night (2019). Her films include Underworld: Awakening (2012), Kite (2014), Social Suicide (2015) and Look Away (2018).

Brian Nolan is an American actor and producer, best known for starring as Frankie on all current seasons of Here! TV’s The Lair and as a producer on the Netflix films Secret Obsession and Fatal Affair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Garner</span> American actress (born 1994)

Julia Garner is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark (2017–2022), for which she received critical acclaim and won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

<i>Code 8</i> (2019 film) Canadian science fiction superhero action film

Code 8 is a 2019 Canadian science fiction superhero action film written and directed by Jeff Chan, and starring the cousins Stephen and Robbie Amell. It is a feature-length version of the 2016 short film of the same name about a man with superhuman abilities who works with a group of criminals to raise money to help his sick mother.

<i>The Woman in the Window</i> (2021 film) Film by Joe Wright

The Woman in the Window is a 2021 American psychological thriller film directed by Joe Wright from a screenplay by Tracy Letts, based on the bestselling 2018 novel of the same name by author A. J. Finn. The film follows an agoraphobic woman who begins to spy on her new neighbors and is witness to a crime in their apartment. Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, and Jennifer Jason Leigh also star.

Elite is a Spanish teen drama series created by Carlos Montero and Darío Madrona for Netflix. The show is set in Las Encinas, a fictional elite high school which caters to privileged and wealthy teenagers. Elite initially focuses on three working-class students who win their enrollment at Las Encinas through a scholarship program, and on the social and romantic interactions that they have with several students there. The series ran for eight seasons from 5 October 2018 to 26 July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KJ Smith</span> American actress

Khaneshia Smith, known professionally as KJ Smith, is an American actress, known for her role as Andrea "Andi" Barnes in the comedy-drama, Sistas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabel May</span> American actress (born 2000)

Isabel May is an American actress. She is most known for the role of Elsa Dutton as the narrator and protagonist of the Paramount+ series 1883 (2021–2022), reprising the role as the narrator of its sequel series 1923 (2022–2023). She starred as Katie Cooper on the Netflix series Alexa & Katie and had a recurring role as Veronica Duncan on the CBS series Young Sheldon. She held the lead role of Zoe Hull in the film Run Hide Fight.

<i>We Can Be Heroes</i> (2020 film) 2020 superhero film by Robert Rodriguez

We Can Be Heroes is a 2020 American superhero kids film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It is both a standalone and legacy sequel to the 2005 film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D. Rodriguez was also the cinematographer and editor of the film, which stars YaYa Gosselin, Lyon Daniels, Andy Walken, Hala Finley, Lotus Blossom, Dylan Henry Lau, Andrew Diaz, Isaiah Russel-Bailey, Akira Akbar, Nathan Blair, and Vivien Lyra Blair. It was released on December 25, 2020, by Netflix and received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel was previously in development, although there hasn’t been any updates on the film since it was announced in 2021 which means that it was possibly cancelled.

Chelsea T. Zhang is an American actress. She portrayed Rose Wilson in the HBO Max superhero series Titans (2019) and had recurring roles in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack (2017–2018) and the Netflix series Daybreak (2019). Her films include Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015), Relish (2019), and Love in Taipei (2023).

<i>The Lost Daughter</i> (film) 2021 film by Maggie Gyllenhaal

The Lost Daughter is a 2021 psychological drama film written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, based on the 2006 novel by Elena Ferrante. The film stars Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Domińczyk, Jack Farthing, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ed Harris. Colman also served as an executive producer.

<i>Songbird</i> (2020 film) 2020 US science fiction thriller film by Adam Mason

Songbird is a 2020 American dystopian science fiction thriller film based on the COVID-19 pandemic. It was directed by Adam Mason, who wrote the screenplay with Simon Boyes. Produced by Michael Bay, Adam Goodman, Andrew Sugerman and Eben Davidson, the film features an ensemble cast of KJ Apa, Sofia Carson, Craig Robinson, Bradley Whitford, Peter Stormare, Alexandra Daddario, Paul Walter Hauser and Demi Moore, depicting their struggle living under a highly strict and brutal quarantine by the highly authoritarian government in the midst of a mutating virus outbreak.

<i>The Kissing Booth 3</i> 2021 film by Vince Marcello

The Kissing Booth 3 is a 2021 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Vince Marcello and written by Marcello and Jay Arnold. The third and final installment in The Kissing Booth trilogy based on Beth Reekles' novel of the same name, the film stars Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Meganne Young and Molly Ringwald.

<i>Anatomy of a Scandal</i> American drama television miniseries

Anatomy of a Scandal is an American thriller drama television miniseries developed by David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson, based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Vaughan. The series consists of six episodes, and premiered on Netflix on April 15, 2022.

<i>The Deliverance</i> (film) 2024 film by Ameeliyah Geter

The Deliverance is a 2024 American supernatural horror film directed by Lee Daniels and written by David Coggeshall, and Elijah Bynum. Inspired by the Ammons haunting case, it stars Andra Day with Rob Morgan, Caleb McLaughlin, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps, Mo'Nique, and Glenn Close.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 N'Duka, Amanda (October 2, 2019). "Nia Long To Produce & Star Alongside Omar Epps And Stephen Bishop In Netflix Film 'Fatal Affair'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  2. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (November 6, 2019). "Stephen Lang Joins 'Death in Texas'; KJ Smith Cast In 'Fatal Affair'; Oliver Cooper In 'Ghostbusters'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  3. ↑ Catsoulis, Jeannette (2020-07-16). "'Fatal Affair' Review: Close Stalker". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  4. ↑ Moore, Kasey (June 11, 2020). "Netflix's 'Fatal Affair' Releasing in July 2020". WhatsOnNetflix. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  5. ↑ Tannenbaum, Emily (July 1, 2020). "Netflix's Fatal Affair Trailer Is Serving Major Fatal Attraction and Obsessed Vibes". Glamour. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  6. ↑ Back, Grace (July 3, 2020). "Netflix's Daring New Thriller 'Fatal Affair' Is A Modern Take On 'Fatal Attraction'". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  7. ↑ Lawrence, Gregory (July 1, 2020). "The Trailer for Netflix's 'Fatal Affair' Delivers Cheesy Domestic Thriller Realness". Collider. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  8. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (July 21, 2020). "'The Outpost' Still Strong on VOD, While John Lewis and Danny Trejo Docs Score". IndieWire . Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  9. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (July 27, 2020). "'The Rental' Is Second Film Ever to Be #1 on Both Theatrical and VOD Charts at Same Time". IndieWire . Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Fatal Affair (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on 2020-07-19. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Fatal Affair Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ Erbland, Kate (July 16, 2020). "'Fatal Affair' Review: Netflix Goes Flaccid with an Erotic Thriller Starring Nia Long". IndieWire . Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.