A cul-de-sac in an oppressive suburb becomes a literal dead end for wife and mother Karen Christianson when she is brutally murdered in her own home. In the wake of the event, Karen's teenage daughter Ellie begins to exhibit bizarre behaviors as she slowly acquires her mother's demeanor and mannerisms. Meanwhile, Karen's husband Ben nurtures a less-than-innocent interest in the family's sultry live-in nanny, Lena.
**_Variation on the Lethal Lolita theme with 16 year-old Julia Stiles_**
After a murder at a gated community in California, a smooth, no-nonsense detective (Michael Parks) zeroes-in on the mostly likely suspect. William R. Moses plays the father, Julia Stiles the daughter and Patrick Muldoon the neighbor.
"Wicked” (1998) is a crime drama involving a teenage girl, although the identity of the killer is sort of up in the air, which makes it a Whodunnit. It’s similar to other 90’s Lethal Lolita flicks, like "Poison Ivy" (1992), "The Crush" (1993) and "Devil in the Flesh" (1998), but there are enough nuances to set it apart.
Julia was only 16 during shooting and so lacks the womanly curves she would later have. Blonde Louise Myrback in on hand as the potential stepmother. Meanwhile Vanessa Zima plays the younger sister.
The movie has an artistic flair and droll verve, both welcome.
It runs 1 hours, 28 minutes.
GRADE: B