I think I would give this movie 3 stars out of 4, since what is good about it is often very good. However, the violence is shockingly explicit and gratuitous, which very nearly derails the picture. In fact, it is so needlessly explicit one is tempted to turn away from the screen in order to avoid it. Lauren Tewes is shockingly good in the lead role, so good that I now wonder why she didn't get more opportunities to shine. Jennifer Jason Leigh is also excellent, and I have to admit I forgot it was her until near the end of the picture. The identity of the killer is revealed early on, so the only suspense comes when Tewes begins to think she knows his identity and then begins to follow and taunt him. Some of this was compelling, but a lot of it was so unlikely that I had to laugh on occasion. At one point Tewes finds herself in the killer's apartment when he suddenly returns, and the way she extricates herself from this predicament is so unlikely that I laughed out loud(entering another apartment directly below and then casually walking out with the inhabitants eating at their table? Really?). The great film critic Gene Siskel gave this movie 2.5 stars out of 4, saying that without the gratuitous violence he could recommend the film without reservation as a well-made urban thriller. I agree with him, but for those who like these slasher-type movies, I believe this is by far the best. It's genuinely creepy and scary much of the time.
Review of Eyes of a Stranger
