Julia Roberts Thriller Scares its Way Onto Hulu
Julia Roberts, secret genre star that you are. While her A-list origins aren’t quite as rooted in schlock horror as the likes of George Clooney or Jennifer Aniston, she’s been more willing than most mega superstars to get down and dirty with the genre over the years. Flatliners is an absolute classic (and, yes, I even like the remake), and last year’s Leave the World Behind is one of the most successful Netflix originals ever.
However, one of her earliest genre roles was a massive box-office success that would trigger a decade of imitators. We all know what I’m talking about. Remember how in the 1990s, domestic thrillers were all the rage? The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Single White Female, The Good Son, and every film of their ilk targeted perennial social fears in a rapidly changing world. Can’t trust your roommate or new nanny, and definitely not your child star offspring. One of the most resonant, however, was the wave of interpersonal violence schlock. Enter Sleeping with the Enemy, which recently charted on Hulu.
Per Hulu: In this tense thriller, a battered wife (Julia Roberts) stages her death, moves, and assumes a new identity – only to be threatened again once her husband learns of the ruse.
Julia Roberts plays Laura Burney, an abused woman who fakes her death to escape her violent husband, Martin (Patrick Bergin). Thriller convention ensues as Laura struggles to acclimate to her new life while Martin begins to suspect Laura’s death was nothing but a ruse.
It’s schlock masquerading as social commentary. While I take umbrage with how cinema regularly depicts interpersonal violence, even I’ll concede Sleeping with the Enemy is bolstered considerably by Roberts’ presence, and a pretty sensational ending with an all-timer of a final line.
In the years afterward, Sleeping with the Enemy would be iterated upon regularly. Think the Ashley Judd thriller Double Jeopardy, or the Jennifer Lopez vehicle Enough. It’s all very glossy Lifetime, but it’s not the worst thing in the world. At least Sleeping with the Enemy has Julia Roberts. And, with the film streaming now on Hulu, now’s as good a time as any to check out what had the world in a fervor back in 1991.
What do you think? Are you a fan of Sleeping with the Enemy? Any plans to catch it on Hulu? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
Categorized: News
