Name that flick!

December 2, 2006 11:14 AM

Thought I'd throw another "What was that movie?" thread onto the pile. This one has been bugging me, but should be a lay up for the hivemind. INCLUDES SPOILER in premise description.

Hazy premise and details: Probably an 80s movie. Might have been made for TV, not sure, but that might make it harder/impossible to find on Netflix :(

Woman is attacked by a man and is traumatized, moves into a new apartment and becomes a shut-in. Puts multiple locks on the door. Things seem okay for awhile and she starts to venture out again, but then starts noticing minor details in her apartment are changing (the arrangement of knick knacks, etc. She might have also had OCD) and she either immediately suspects she's being stalked by the man who attacked her, or she's going crazy, or both. Either way no one can help her.

So she spends the rest of her time getting creeped out by things changing in her apartment, and I think adds more locks/security to her place and it STILL happens.

**SPOILER** You come to find out that the stalker IS after her and HAS been making changes to her stuff, but he hasn't been breaking in: he's been in her apartment the whole time, even as she added more locks to keep him out, and actually PAINTS HIMSELF to blend in to her walls like a chameleon (I still have the mental image of him coming away from the I-think-brick wall when this rather unique twist is revealed).

Anyway, I have a fond memory of this movie that will probably fade with a current viewing, but I'd like to see it agian anway.

posted by wubbie to media & arts (15 comments total)

i dont remember anything about him blending into her walls, but the rest of it could be Sleeping with the Enemy?

***SPOILERISH*** woman has abusive, ocd husband. she stages her own drowning to escape him and starts a new life far away. things are good and she even starts tentatively dating this cute drama teacher guy. then she starts noticing things in her new house like, all the towels are lined up perfectly, which makes her think he's in the house.
posted by silverstatue at 11:20 AM on December 2, 2006

There was an episode of CSI (the Las Vegas one) that had almost this exact premise, without the blending into walls thing, instead he was living in the attic of the house, I think. It was probably based on the movie, so maybe if you can figure out which ep it was you'll find a reference to the movie.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 11:30 AM on December 2, 2006

When a Stranger Calls has a man painting himself to blend in with a brick wall, but the rest sounds off.
posted by iconomy at 11:35 AM on December 2, 2006

Oops - it's When a Stranger Calls Back.
posted by iconomy at 11:36 AM on December 2, 2006

When A Stranger Calls Back?
posted by claudiadias at 11:44 AM on December 2, 2006

Oops. Should have reloaded.
posted by claudiadias at 11:46 AM on December 2, 2006

Could it be Bad Ronald?
posted by interrobang at 12:03 PM on December 2, 2006

Sounds like that episode of the X-Files with the chameleon man. There are definitely multiple times when the man steps away from the wall/tree/whatever that he's been blending in with.
posted by biscotti at 1:01 PM on December 2, 2006

Hider in the House?
posted by nineRED at 1:30 PM on December 2, 2006

Um, if it's really "Hider in the House", I think you have a moral obligation to remove the Spoiler Warning.

I had this same complaint about a big movie from last summer, a caper movie directed by a director who seemed to be an odd choice, where the title rather gave away the film's only plot twist. Yes, at least it was a pun, but in two hours most people are gonna punch their way past a goddamn PUN.

(Yes I am being obtuse so I don't ruin it for the 5% of MeFi readers who wouldn't get the twist from the title anyway. Sue me for being kind. Rosebud.)
posted by rokusan at 1:44 PM on December 2, 2006

Definitely sounds like When a Stranger Calls Back.
posted by invisible ink at 1:46 PM on December 2, 2006

I remember this too, in the same vague way that wubble does. I am pretty sure it was Carol Kane playing the victim.
posted by vronsky at 3:17 PM on December 2, 2006

No f*cking way. I read your opener and thought 'seeing as how everyone's asking movie questions, I really must try and find out what that movie where the guy paints himself to blend into the walls' was. And then you ask about the same movie! Small world...
posted by ganseki at 4:33 PM on December 2, 2006

I'll give When A Stranger Calls Back the thumbs up, I had forgotten about the children part, though, but the rest sounds right. Now to track down a copy. Thanks, hivemind!
posted by wubbie at 4:47 PM on December 2, 2006

There was that other one of similar flavor, where the guy was living inside the walls. It had been his place, and he built fake walls, leaving him passage for spying and moving around.
posted by Goofyy at 11:06 PM on December 2, 2006