Swimfan

The kind of thriller that requires, for the plot to move forward, a complete absence of common sense on the part of the hero, Swimfan revolves around a high school swim team star (Jesse Bradford), who is targeted by a sultry, psycho, jailbait stalker (Erika Christensen). No matter what crazy thing the deranged girl does to him--e-mail him 81 times in a day, spike his urine sample with steroids, frame him for murder--Bradford's character never tells a single person what's really going on (because if anyone was watching his back, there would be no movie). Which isn't to say that Swimfan doesn't have its guilty pleasures, especially Christensen (Traffic), who chews the scenery as a fun, wicked, spiteful villainess. But the rest of the cast is so bland that the film ultimately has little flavor--which is a bit of a killer for a purported thriller. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include both full screen and widescreen editions, audio commentary by director John Polson and costars Jesse Bradford and Erika Christensen, “The Girlfriend From Hell” 10-minute making-of featurette, and 10 extended/deleted scenes with optional director commentary. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a rather lightweight thriller.] (R. Blackwelder)