Pretty Obsession

Secrets, Seduction, and Cyber Shadows

“Pretty Obsession” is an American thriller released in 2012 and directed by Michael Baumgarten. This low-budget indie film captures the troubling portrayal of online promiscuity and its devastating real-life consequences.

🎥 Plot Overview

Brittany Nicole Kovler plays the role of Rebecca, an 18-year-old high school graduate living in Los Angeles. To earn some pocket money, she works in a thrift store with her friend Lauren (Lydia Pritchett). Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Rebecca takes her business aims to the next level and becomes a webcam model under the pseudonym PrettyGirl90069, whereby lewd acts are performed for the payment of money.

Initially, the venture seems harmless and lucrative. However, the situation takes a dark turn when one of her online admirers, known as DenverStud300, becomes obsessed. As Rebecca’s stalker crosses the boundary between copious online fantasies and merciless reality, her life as well as the lives of her loved ones turn’s unsafe.

In the culmination of the storyline, Rebecca is forced to confront the deadly consequences of her choices while desperately figuring out how to disentangle herself from the perilous trap she gets stuck in.

🌆 Main Cast

Brittany Nicole Kovler as Rebecca (PrettyGirl90069): an aspiring young webcam model.

Lydia Pritchett as Lauren: Rebecca’s close friend and primary supporter.

Chris Moss as Zach: A character that gets caught up in the intricate developments of the story through the eyes of a friend.

Dylan Hobbs as The Stalker (DenverStud300): A dangerously fixated fan turned stalker.

Danny Pardo as Rebecca’s Dad: Oblivious to his daughter’s secret life.

Jennifer Larson as Rebecca’s Mom: Worrying about the state of her daughter’s health.

🖋️ Themes and Tone

Pretty Obsession explores themes of:

Anonymity on the Internet and its associated risks: Emphasizing the impact of online relationships on real life and how they can affect people in person.

The double life: Understanding the mental strain of living a life with secrets.

Obsession and Stalking: Illustrating the transformation from benign fan to overly aggressive fanatical admirer.

Once again, the movie accomplishes the goal of creating suspenseful and gripping narratives with the aim of warning about the dangers of being exposed online.

🎞️ Style and Cinematography

Pretty Obsession works with a budget in the region of
350,000, which translates to around 1,500 per minute of runtime. The film has intimacy of scope through the use of mid close shots and small settings. These tactics cause tension, as described in Rebecca’s situation which was strung increasingly dangerously with her surroundings.

⭐ Reception

Pretty Obsession has received mixed reviews. Some people enjoyed the attempt to try to discuss pertinent issues such as internet safety and infringing personal information. However, the lack of development with the characters for other viewers was too much to digest. The film does feel like a metaphor on the carelessness of the society that leaves people anonymous online and free to intrude in personal privacy, and sadly, we do not see any rosy outcome in the end.

📺 Final Thoughts

Pretty Obsession attempts to showcase the deeply troubling impacts of internet notoriety, as well as, the repercussions of seemingly trivial online actions. The aims may not warrant being described as a work of art, but in the age of the internet, it does highlight vigilance that strikes as essential.

Those interested in thrillers focusing on technology and personal security will appreciate Pretty Obsession’s relevance to today’s concerns.