Identical twins with opposite personalities are as big a part of thrillers as creepy kids are to horror. And if a romantic interest gets involved, the story becomes even more twisted. The Image of You follows Anna and Zoe (Sasha Pieterse, Pretty Little Liars), twin sisters who are close, but nothing alike. When Anna meets charismatic stock broker Nick (Parker Young, Call Me Kat), she thinks is perfect. Zoe is not so trusting and is determined to find out if he is really as great as he seems to be.
Erotic thrillers are at their best when the focus is teasing the audience. That is certainly the case with The Image of You. The film provides plenty of titillating moments and sexy lingerie. Pieterse and Young have the smoldering looks and chemistry to make sure that anyone watching never looks away. It is a throwback to the halcyon days when the genre ruled late night cable.
It really should not work. The plot is too derivative, the constant split screen is distracting, and the mystery lacks any tension. Yet, everything comes together thanks to some outrageous twists and the film’s willingness to never take itself too seriously. The Image of You is very much a case of style of substance, and it knows it.
While there are outliers, sex scenes in movies have decreased dramatically. Once a right of passage for teenagers, erotic thrillers have all but disappeared. The Image of You will not be the start of a resurgence of either, but it does stand out in today’s more sterile cinematic landscape. It is the type of entertaining fluff there is not enough of anymore.
The Image of You is out now on digital
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