Ellie Warren is a successful lawyer with the perfect life: She has a loving husband; a sweet, college-aged daughter; and beautiful and private new home on the coast of California. Everything might seem perfect in paradise to the outside eye. But Ellie and her husband have drifted apart, and she often feels as if she’s sleeping with a stranger.
One day, as Ellie is wrapping up things at her law firm, she runs into an old college friend: David Hammond. Handsome and flattering, David invites Ellie out for a few drinks.
And what begins as a simple glass of wine and friendly conversation quickly turns into a night of drinking, dancing and making out in the bathroom of a club. Before things get too far, Ellie stops herself and tells David that she can’t go any further.
David apologizes and life moves on. At least for Ellie. You see, David can’t seem to let go of that one steamy encounter. He and Ellie just clicked in a way that Ellie and her husband clearly do not.
Perhaps Ellie just needs some “help” understanding that David’s really the one for her. Even if it takes some fatal decisions to fully convince her.
Ellie, although she makes a tragic mistake getting caught up with David, eventually apologizes to her husband.
Her husband, Marcus, is a kind man, a faithful husband and a concerned father. It is clear that although Marcus and Ellie have their issues, that they love their family and are willing to work through any issues to preserve their marriage.
None.
Crawling between the sheets is one of the main themes this flick focuses on. The camera shows us a couple having sex from a distance; the woman’s bare back and side breast are exposed. Ellie and her husband have sex in the shower (though we barely see this through a foggy window) and then later in bed (although the camera pans away before clothes come off).
David and Ellie make out in a club after dancing. The two head for the bathroom. David takes off Ellie’s underwear but before he can take off his pants, Ellie stops him and tells him she cannot have sex with him.
David steals lingerie from Ellie (after smelling it) and gives it to his girlfriend. After she puts it on, the two exchange some dialogue and have sex (in a scene that turns somewhat sadomasichistic).
Shirts come off for both men and women in the heat of the moment, and the camera takes time to linger on cleavage. A woman walks around in an oversized shirt and takes it off, revealing a completely exposed backside. A man stores pornographic images of his ex-wife and fantasized lover on his laptop. Couples kiss and make out.
Ellie doesn’t immediately confess the news of her passionate night with David to her husband, Marcus, though she gets there eventually.
A naked man lies in a tub filled with his own blood. A woman stabs a man in the abdomen. A woman and young man are both found dead and covered in blood. Another woman is knocked unconscious and suffers a concussion. A homeless man’s dead remains are found charred on the ground. A man falls from a cliff and plummets to his death.
Two guys engage in hand-to-hand combat. Ellie accidentally cuts her finger with a knife while chopping vegetables. Marcus shares with David that he was hit by a truck and nearly killed while riding his bicycle. Ellie is threatened with a gun.
A friend warns Ellie that David is controlling and aggressive. David has aggressive tendencies and anger issues throughout the film. Ellie assumes that David murdered his ex-wife and her boyfriend (news articles discuss the murder in-depth).
God’s name is misused three times, once paired with “d–n,” and Jesus’ name is misused once. The s-word is heard once and the phrase “son of a b–ch” is uttered once as well. A woman asks her friend what she’s “b–ching about.”
Men and women take shots of hard liquor and casually drink beer and wine. Multiple bottles of prescription medication sit atop a nightstand.
David stalks Ellie, hacking into her computer and blackmailing her. Similarly, David deletes his girlfriend’s emails and deceives those around him.
Fatal Attraction, Obsessed. Basic Instinct: Many movie fans have seen it all before. Still, Netflix hopes fans of the revenge psychosexual thriller can make room for another, similar film
This TV-14 “original” is like so many other cat-and-mouse movies that have come before it. A married woman gets mixed up in a heated moment but cuts things short. Unfortunately, one moment isn’t enough for a stalker.
Featuring plenty of scenes with couples in bed together and of course some hand-to-hand combat and suspenseful moments, Fatal Affair shows us what someone could do with just the right amount of obsession and insanity. It’s not good.
Then again, the title here tells us everything we need to know about this predictable, violent, sexed-up melodrama.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
