In its narrative design, "Wandering Eye" was a routine detective-style thriller. But by the end, a very engaging protagonist emerges out of a standard psycho killer-on-the-loose plot.
The main character of Maren Abbott was trapped in a lackluster marriage with a doctor who is such a workaholic that Maren takes the step of meeting other men on a website called Wandering Eye.
It turns out that the website has been compromised, and a mad killer is stalking the clients during their trysts. As part of the stock formula of this genre of film, the police are completely incompetent in tracking the killer.
That brings us to Maren, the character who steps up to do the job of the police by serving as "bait" to draw the killer out. In the end, there is a clever plot twist in the identity of the killer.
But more than being the centerpiece of a suspenseful crime yarn, Maren gradually develops into a character of stature. At each turning point, she makes a choice based on integrity. Her thoughtful decisions eventually have a payoff--not so much in the entrapment of the killer--but as a decent person who did the right thing.
This was a well-conceived, multi-dimensional character with an excellent interpretation delivered by the performer.
Well done!
Plot summary
In Brooklyn, Michael Hollis and Anne Federman are found shot to death in Michael's bedroom, both their left ring fingers severed but their wedding rings still remaining at the scene. The sensitive issue is that they are both married to other people, the thought being that they were having an affair. Michael's wife and children are away on vacation giving them an alibi, and Anne's husband professes not to know Michael or that his wife was having an affair with anyone. Regardless, Homicide Detectives Jacqueline Fitzpatrick and Kyle Solomon, the former who is leading the investigation, place Mr. Federman at the top of the suspect list as the spurned husband with seeming anger issues. Meanwhile, Maren Abbott is feeling like a neglected wife as her husband, Connor Abbott, going through his surgical residency, is at the hospital more often than he is at home, and when he is at home he's too tired to do anything. Maren's feelings are exacerbated by the fact that she, an investment banker, is between jobs, and is feeling restless. It isn't until her friend and former coworker Graham Ball makes it clear to her that he would like to pursue a sexual relationship with her that Maren contemplates having an affair for the first time in her marriage. Not wanting to have the affair with someone she knows, she, using an alias, signs up on Wandering Eye, a cheating spouses website. Through the website, Maren meets Lucas Manning, a Pennsylvania pharmaceutical rep in New York on business to who she feels a connection if only because he too is feeling neglected by but still loves his physician spouse. After meeting Lucas a few times in public, Maren ultimately cannot go through with the affair, either with him or anyone else. After parting company with Lucas for the final time, Maren eventually learns on the news that he was murdered in his JFK area hotel room. Not public knowledge, he was shot and his left ring finger was severed. Also not public knowledge, the other aspect, beyond the MO, tying Lucas' death to that of Hollis/Federman murders is that the latter pair also met through Wandering Eye. Despite knowing nothing about the murder, Maren has to decide if she will come forward about she having met Lucas at the possible risk to her marriage, she who may even be considered a suspect. If Maren does not come forward, she may not discover this information and the thought that her life too may be in danger at the hands of this serial murderer as unfinished business.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
A Character With Some Backbone!
A goof ?
Since when does New York City have black patrol cars?
The movie was good, good acting and believable premise but not very authentic as far as believing it occurred in The Big Apple.
Good!
So I like Amanda Righetti and two of her movies stand out for me. One is this one and the other is Shadow of Fear (2012).
Good story line, and in a rare LMN occurrence, there was no betrayal by the protagonist, because in the eleventh hour she came to her senses and stopped it!
Guy who played her husband though, looked like a d-ck to be honest. He looked half asleep all the time. But overall a good movie. Oh and Krista Bridges was superb in this too!