One of the bumper crop of female stalker movies of the early nineties, Single While Female is better than most, thanks to a standout performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh as Hedy, the new flatmate for Bridget Fondas Allie, who gradually attempts to take over Allies life, killing those around her, including her boyfriend. The creepiness here comes from the genuine similarity between Allie and the initially dowdy Hedy as Hedy takes on more aspects of Allies more glamorous appearance, so her obsession becomes more intrusive and more violent, as if shes trying to erase the person shes intent on becoming: as if Allies continued existence is a reminder of reality. It transpires that the story is about a version of survivors guilt Hedy lost her twin sister at nine years old, and is attempting to replace her while fixating on Allie, and then reject her. The film ends with Hedy dead and Allie appearing to begin to suffer her own form of survivors guilt, the two having become interchangeable. The doppelganger effect in the film renders the fairly straightforward plot far more compelling than it would be ordinarily, Allie and Hedy becoming each other by the end.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
