One of the Most Problematic ’90s Thrillers Is Now Free to Stream
I’m about to say something that will surprise absolutely nobody: when I was in high school, I had the biggest crush on my creative writing teacher. I feel like most people have had crushes on older people when they were teens (coaches, tutors, your best friend’s college-aged sibling). But most of us didn’t act on it.
But what if we did? In The Crush (1993), 14-year-old Adrian (Alicia Silverstone in her breakout role) is willing to do whatever it takes to get 28-year-old journalist Nick (Cary Elwes) to fall in love with her. As her obsession grows, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous. It’s suspenseful. It’s uncomfortable. And with Hulu’s upcoming remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, it’s another perfect slice of “trashy ’90s cinema” to revisit in the meantime.
What makes The Crush so compelling is how perfectly it sits within the ’90s canon of hazy, sexy, borderline melodramatic thrillers. This decade also gave us Single White Female, Fear, and later, Cruel Intentions, which I finally watched earlier this year. These movies examine what happens when desire curdles into obsession and innocence is used as a weapon (in all seriousness, what was going on the ’90s? If you’re Gen X, please let me know).
But it’s Silverstone’s performance as Adrian that really stands out, especially considering she was only 15-years-old when The Crush began shooting (she was an emancipated minor). With her girl-next-door looks and her pink gingham swimsuit, Adrian weaponizes girlhood, turning every smile and pout into a potential trap. It’s proof that Silverstone makes an incredible villain and should absolutely do more weird/campy/uncomfortable projects, something we’re thankfully seeing more of from her now with The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Y2K, and Perpetrator.
So if you love trashy melodrama or you’re a fan of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle or Fear, be sure to check out The Crush. And if you love it (or want to talk about ’90s thrillers with me), let me know: @ashjenexi on X and Instagram.
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