Essentially a direct-to-video-style erotic thriller, this FATAL ATTRACTION knockoff is distinguished by its African-American cast and crew. Produced, directed and independently distributed by three college friends — Rob Hardy, William Packer and
Gregory Anderson, all 24 when the film was shot — the Atlanta-set story revolves around young marrieds Jermaine (Gary Dourden) and Jasmine (Kenya Moore). Jermaine is a lawyer, Jasmine is applying to graduate school; she hopes to work with battered women because she herself was once trapped in
an abusive relationship, something she's never shared with her husband. Jermaine is captivated by the fantasy of indulging in a ménage à trois, and while Jasmine resists the idea, she eventually — and reluctantly — gives in to his assurances that the experience will
strengthen their relationship. Jermaine's co-worker Terrence (Soloman K. Smith) hooks up Jermaine with sexy, single mother Jade (Gretchen Palmer), who needs cash to finance her custody battle with her ex-boyfriend, a successful baseball player. For the right price, she agrees to show Jermaine and
Jasmine a world-class good time. Inevitably, though, the fantasy gives way to sobering reality; in the weeks following the three-way romp, Jermaine and Jasmine find themselves drifting apart, a situation exacerbated by a series of strange events. Jermaine finds one of Jade's hairpins outside his
window and gets a threatening note at work; later, someone puts a snake in his car and sabotages an important business meeting. Kudos to the filmmakers for trying to integrate some fairly serious ideas about prejudice within African-American communities, sexual ignorance and the color-blind power
of cash into a conventional thriller format. They don't entirely succeed, the budget constraints are often apparent (especially in the score) and the whole thing degenerates into a preposterous surprise ending, but this scrappy effort is never exactly what you'd expect. --Maitland McDonagh
