This Ultimate Forgotten Thriller is Incredible and Streaming Free
I love trashy PSA thrillers from the 1980s and 1990s. You know the kind I’m talking about, those retro-infused riffs on I Saw What You Did. They’re horror movies as cautionary tales, screeching calls for parents to check in on their teens and, by extension, finger-wagging toward any young adult looking to make the wrong choice. They were often of the made-for-television variety, though they sometimes managed to sneak their way into multiplexes across the country.
Some were disposable. Okay, a lot of them were disposable, but every so often, one struck such a nerve that it was hard to forget. Such was the case with Gay Sherman’s Lisa, a modest box office success warning of the dangers of chatting with strangers on the phone. I randomly discovered the film one evening while scouring IMDB for something obscure to watch, and I’m glad I did. It’s an ultimate forgotten gem, and the best news is, you can catch it streaming free now.
Learn more about Lisa below:
Per Tubi: A 14-year-old rebels against her overprotective single mother by making phone calls to strange, handsome men, unaware that one is a sex-crazed killer.
Lisa Holland (Staci Keanan) lives with her strict mother, Katherine (an always welcome Cheryl Ladd). Katherine’s got some strict rules, namely that Lisa is forbidden from dating until 16. What’s a teen girl to do? Ignore news about the Candlelight Killer, a serial rapist whose modus operandi is calling his victims before their deaths, telling them he’s in their house, and start chatting with boys on the phone anyway. Eat it, Mom—you just don’t understand.
Lisa bumps into the killer, unbeknownst to her, and makes her Gen-Z Instagram stalker counterparts proud by writing down his license plate and stealing his number from the DMV. They start chatting, often seductively, and Lisa has no idea what terrors are in store for her. Take it from me – don’t try to seduce random, handsome men on the street. They’re probably serial killers.
Lisa’s commitment to ick, however, puts it above most of its peers. Sure, it’s dated in many regards, but its stranger danger mantra is no less potent today than it was in 1990. With a better-than-average supporting cast, too, Lisa really feels like the real deal. It’s the ultimate forgotten thriller, so now’s your chance to catch it streaming free.
What do you think? Have you seen Lisa before? Any plans to check it out on Tubi? Let me know if you do over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
Categorized: News
