By Maraya Figueroa
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College is a time where you can really figure out what you want to do with your life. Make memories, network, and make lasting friends. You move into a new place and, if you’re the average college student, you have a roommate. Strangers picked at random that share your living space and become part of your life in one way or another.
The movie “The Roommate,” which premiered this past weekend, exploits the possibility of the worst case scenario of that new situation. Forget the unclean, food stealing, loud, hardcore party-day-and-night-roommate. Say hello to the clingy, over protective, schizophrenic, bipolar roommate. Sara Matthews (Minka Kelly), a freshman college student who aspires to be a fashion designer meets her new dorm roommate Rebecca Evans (Leighton Meester).
The two get along fairly well at first and their friendship develops as they get to know each other but things start to take a dark turn when Sara doesn’t report to Rebecca the details of her life and her whereabouts.
Sara is kind, understanding and smart but still wants to have fun while she’s in college. She has her dreams set and is intent on pursuing them.
Rebecca is a chilling character and hides this from the only person who doesn’t seem to know, Sara. Now, Sara’s not oblivious and begins to take note and investigate Rebecca. Without giving too much away, she finds out a little about her home life and history. Can she handle what she learns?
Taking the psycho college roommate angle for a movie was a great idea, but not terribly original. This movie is actually a remake of the 1992 “Single White Female” which has the same premise but not in a college setting. This remake is meant to be aimed at a younger audience and that’s why “The Roommate” is rated PG-13 instead of R like the original. It contains less violence, nudity and sexual scenes. Both have similarities in the number of characters, the feel of slow creeping insanity, and suspenseful moments. The original is a bit more intricate, more thought out and creepy. But remakes can never beat the originals.
This move is perfect for a light thrill ride, especially for those too scared to watch horror films but still want to experience a few frightening moments. It’s nothing that can’t be handled and most times lets it up to the audience to imagine what’s happened or going to happen. The remake held up on it’s own.
