The 15 Most Iconic Movie Stalkers, Ranked by Obsession Level
Hell hath no fury like a one-night stand/new roommate/Swimfan scorned. In honor of "The Perfect Guy," here are the 15 most iconic movie stalkers -- ranked by level of crazy and obsession.
15. Ali Larter, ‘Obsessed’ (2009)
“Obsessed” is completely forgettable if not for the fact that it stars Beyonce Knowles. The “Halo” singer plays Sharon, wife of businessman Derek (Idris Elba). When Lisa (Ali Larter) starts a job at his company, she falls for Derek fast. Unlike most “good guys” on this list, Derek shoots down her advances. Is it because Beyonce is waiting for him at home? Probably. But eventually Lisa crawls into his bed, gets naked, and tries to kill herself. Because crazy.
14. Leighton Meester, ‘The Roommate (2011)
This toothless “Single White Female” rip-off would be all but forgotten if not for the hilariously-awful way in which the villain Rebecca (Leighon Meester) kills Sara’s (Minka Kelly) poor cat – she puts it in the dryer and tumbles it to death. Ugh, why do the bad guys always go after the family pets?
13. Ryan Guzman, ‘The Boy Next Door’ (2015)
Guzman stepped into the spotlight earlier this year, playing Jennifer Lopez’s hard-body neighbor in the campy, cautionary cougar tale “The Boy Next Door.” The film falls flat, but Guzman is convincing as the scorned lover-turned-psycho who murders pretty much everything around him, from the family pet to Kristin Chenoweth to Lopez’s character’s chances of winning any Mother/Teacher of the Year awards.
12. Tony Pierce/Everyone Else, ‘The Bodyguard’ (1992)
“The Bodyguard” makes this list because every character in the film – outside of bodyguard Kevin Costner – are capital-O obsessed with the film’s fictional diva Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston). There is stalker Dan (Tony Pierce), who builds bombs out of dolls; Rachel’s sister, who puts a hit out on her because she’s consumed with jealousy; a Secret Service agent-turned-contract killer, who follows Rachel to the family cabin; and then her frenzied fans, who are probably the worst.
11. Alicia Silverstone, ‘The Crush’ (1993)
Cary Elwes plays a clueless writer who flirts with a 14-year-old Alicia Silverstone (not to mention statutory rape charges) in “The Crush.” Her character, Adrian, crushes on him, they kiss, he blows her off and finds another woman. Then, she tries to kill the other woman by locking her in a darkroom with (naturally) a wasps' nest. What sets this generic thriller apart is that it was based upon real life events that occurred in writer-director Alan Shapiro’s neighborhood. Now that’s scary.
10. Mark Wahlberg, ‘Fear’ (1996)
Were Charles Darwin alive today, even he would be stumped by the evolution of professional pelvic thruster Marky Mark into Oscar-nominated thespian Mark Wahlberg. If there’s any missing link to bridge the gap between the two Marks it’s “Fear,” where he plays Reese Witherspoon’s bipolar boyfriend. Eventually the nice guy façade fades and he turns full-blown psycho. Creepy highlights include murder, beheading the family dog, and defacing her father’s Mustang with a note “Now I’ve popped both of your cherries.”
9. Michael Keaton, ‘Pacific Heights’ (1990)
From Batman to Birdman, to a dad reincarnated as a snowman, it’s hard to imagine Michael Keaton as anything other than a hero -- until you watch “Pacific Heights." Here, he embodies the definition of tenant from hell. When young landlords Melanie Griffith and Matthew Modine first try evicting him, he infests their place with cockroaches. Eventually, he also shoots Modine, frames it as self-defense, steals his identity, and beats him with a golf club.
8. Erika Christensen, ‘Swimfan’ (2002)
“Swimfan” is a poorly written and wholly unnecessary “Fatal Attraction” rip-off, but it’s filled with unintentional comedy from the likes of swim team groupie Madison Bell (Erika Christensen), who rocks a killer set of crazy eyes. She eventually convinces star swimmer Ben (Jesse Bradford) to do the naked breaststroke with her, but when he wont break up with his girlfriend (Shiri Appleby), Madison takes her hostage… at the school pool.
7. Ray Liotta, ‘Unlawful Entry’ (1992)
Ray Liotta is the furthest thing from a goodfella’ as Officer Pete Davis in this underrated L.A.-set thriller. He befriends a young couple (Kurt Russell and Madeline Stowe) reeling from a home invasion, but fails to tell them he’s that he’s nuttier than a George Washington Carver biopic. Gradually, he goes from protecting and serving to peeping and stalking. The crooked, creepy cop commits several brutal crimes, including murder, attempted rape, and, of course, unlawful entry.
6. Robin Williams, ‘One Hour Photo’ (2002)
Robin Williams was one of cinema’s gentlest and most beloved comedians, which helps explain why audiences were floored when he played a super creep in “One Hour Photo.” The lonely photo technician who lives vicariously through the Yorkin family, whose photos he has developed for years. Eventually he takes the two of them hostage and forces them to pose naked at knifepoint while he takes their picture. Thank god for the digital camera revolution.
5. Drew Barrymore, ‘Poison Ivy’ (1992)
This is the Frankenstein’s monster of crappy, stalker-thriller films, sewn together from the worst bits and scraps from each one. But Drew Barrymore is electrifying as Ivy, a cold-blooded minx who seduces each member of the wealthy Cooper family, starting with young Sylvie (Sara Gilbert.) After giving Sylvie the “Single White Female” treatment, Ivy goes on to steal her dog, bang her dad, and befriend her dying mom before pushing her off a balcony just because. Yikes.
4. Jennifer Jason Leigh, ‘Single White Female’ (1992)
This is the one that spawned all of those creepy and mostly crappy best friend films. Jennifer Jason Leigh is downright terrifying as Hedy, the sweet new roommate who befriends Allie (Bridget Fonda) and then later completely assumes her identity. Highlights include transforming herself to look like Allie, fellating Allie’s boyfriend while pretending to be her, and, later, gouging his eye out with her stiletto.
3. Jessica Walter, ‘Play Misty for Me’ (1971)
These days, Jessica Walter brings audiences to tears with hilarious roles on “Arrested Development” and “Archer,” but in 1971 she made them cry for a different reason. In “Play Misty for Me,” Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, she shines as Evelyn, a super-psycho who falls hard for Eastwood’s small town disc jockey. They have a fling, he brushes her aside, she freaks out, and, well, the film’s cutlery-filled climax is enough to make anybody swear off one-night stands.
2. Robert De Niro, ‘Cape Fear’ (1991)
Robert De Niro has played obsessive characters (see “The Fan”), but none were as terrifying as Max Cady in Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear” remake. The paroled rapist is cruel and clever while he stalks defense attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) and his family. He poisons the family dog, seduces the underage daughter (Juliette Lewis), murders the maid, dresses up like the dead maid and murders someone else -- Yeah, it’s one of the creepiest performances in cinematic history.
1. Glenn Close, ‘Fatal Attraction’ (1987)
Glenn Close lands the top spot as Alex, an obsessive book publisher who has a fling with a married man (Michael Douglas). Alex gets pretty creepy when he refuses to leave his wife (Anne Archer), first by pretending to be pregnant and then later by boiling their pet rabbit. She. Boils. Their. Bunny.
