The Hitchcockian erotic thriller The Voyeurs hit Amazon steaming a couple weeks ago with little to no fanfare.
The provocative tale is a new, if fairly stale and superficial, spin on the often imitated classic film Rear Window that sees a young couple spying on their sexually charged neighbors out the window. The more they watch, the more they’re sucked down a rabbit hole into obsession that sees how sexual addiction can unravel even the most tightly wound of relationships. The Voyeurs blends the classic 'what would you do?' morality tale with sensual themes of '80s and '90s late night eroticism mixed into one final product that slightly rises above its mediocre delivery system.
Adding power to their floundering sex life, lead characters Pippa and Thomas find a new energy and heightened arousal when spying on the photographer and wife that live in the building across the way. What they find is their loyalty questioned as their voyeurism takes them to places they never could have imagined.
Led by a youthful cast that includes the amazing Sydney Sweeney, Justice Smith, Ben Hardy and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, The Voyeurs relishes in its trashy and exploitative plot while it pays tribute to its inspiration. Of course there are far greater Hitchcock impersonators like Disturbia or Brian De Palma’s erotic masterpiece Body Double. But, it does bring the story into present time with its useful look at modern relationships while it devolves into an unadulterated landscape of horny smut.
Instead of using tension and mystery to tell its tale, director Michael Mohan wastes precious story telling time looking to get a reaction out of his audience. Each time the plot seems to stumble, another sex romp is interjected in an attempt to keep our attention swayed from the hole ridden script. At nearly two hours, there was some definite trimming needed that would have kept the story more focused and on point. On the other hand, maybe this is exactly what we needed right now. There's nothing wrong with a steamy thriller. And that's what Mohan and his cast get right.
The Voyeurs is a good late night watch that will satiate your thirst for a bit of hard charged cinematic titilation.
-CG
