Horror Drama From the 90s With Only 8% on Rotten Tomatoes Just Ended Up in Netflix Top 5

It's fun to check out the top charts on streaming platforms from time to time. While most of it is made up of the latest premieres, occasionally old, forgotten gems show up.

This time, for example, it was Netflix that made sure we all paid attention to this 1996 psychological horror drama directed by John Schlesinger. The movie is called Eye for an Eye, and the story at its core is adapted from Erika Holzer's novel of the same name.

What Eye for an Eye Is About?

The name of the movie, Eye for an Eye, already suggests that it's going to be a revenge story. The film revolves around the McCann family, Karen and Mack, and their daughters, Julie and Megan. Julie is the older teenage daughter, while Megan is only 6 years old.

One day, while Karen is talking to Julie on the phone in traffic, the girl is suddenly attacked in her own house by a stranger. He sexually assaults her and then violently murders her, all while Karen is still on the phone…

When the investigation begins and Detective Joe Denillo finds the killer's DNA, it seems that they will finally get justice for the girl. However, when the police find out that the murderer is a man named Robert Doob, his defense finds a small technicality that leads to the case being thrown out. One can only imagine the state of mind of the McCanns at that moment.

So the mother, played brilliantly by Sally Field, starts following the man and finds out that he has plans to rape and murder another woman, but when Karen tries to warn people, they don't believe her. Only to be proven wrong later... Doob goes free after another murder, and that drives Karen crazy. So at the end of the movie she becomes the one who takes care of him. Permanently.

What About the Movie Felt Wrong?

There's one obvious point that everyone is talking about: the performances from the cast were amazing. Kiefer Sutherland played a convincing villain, while Sally Field took on the role of both fragile and strong woman ready to take control of her own story. But there are things that viewers didn't get about the movie. And 8% on Rotten Tomatoes hits on that heavily.

Some say that the script was lazy for a movie that was supposed to have such a strong message. For example, everyone is talking about the scene where Karen was on the phone with her daughter but was running around trying to find another phone to call 911. She knew where her daughter was, so being separated from Julie wasn't a thing that could have turned everything against her, but she wouldn't spend so much time trying to find a person to help her.

However, some fans say that it is not lazy writing, but on the contrary, a genuine portrayal of a person so scared and confused that they don't know what to do when they are in such a terrible situation.

“That is an impossible question to ask yourself. Until you are put in a horrible situation, you have no experience about how you would react. You can make assumptions. But when something does happen, you most likely will surprise yourself,” Redditor 441231853211 said.

Eye for an Eye is available to stream on Netflix.