Plot: After his previous legal entanglements, Dr. Beck (Eric Roberts) was somehow able to elude the authorities and escape to Mexico, where he basks in the sun and soaks in the local ladies. But while the sun and sand are a wonderful experience, Beck is still unable to find true love and of course, that is all he really wants in life. When he sees a young woman struggling in the ocean, he springs into action and even saves her life, thanks to his CPR skills. Her name is Amy (Claire Blackwelder) and she is grateful for Beck’s help, as is her mother Linda (Hilary Greer). The experience sparked Beck’s obsession once again and he is so smitten with Amy that he returns to the United States, despite being a fugitive. As he tries to keep off the radar of local enforcement, he also formulates a plan to get close to Amy, by dating her mother. So he checks in on her and begins to seduce Linda, who eats up the attention and ignores Amy’s concerns, as she just wants Beck to be her dream man. Will Beck be able to trick Amy into letting him get close, or will he yet again face heartbreak for his stalker tendencies?
Entertainment Value: Eric Roberts was such a great villain as Dr. Beck, you knew Lifetime has bring him back and as such, we have Stalked by My Doctor: The Return, Beck’s grand return. And while some sequels are pale imitations of the original, this one avoids that fate and delivers the same kind of over the top melodrama as before, just fine tuned with some camp vibes. Stalked by My Doctor was outlandish, but reigned in the silliness at times, but The Return dials up the wackiness and turns Dr. Beck into a self aware psychopath. He knows he is crazy, but has a sense of humor about his sickness and that leads to some wild moments, as he has these odd visions that take some strange turns. The narrative is similar to the first movie, but throws in enough new twists to keep things fresh and also draws inspiration from Lolita, so fans of the movies/book will notice those threads. The pace is brisk once again and the movie is smart to allow Roberts to be the focus once again, as the end result is a fun, over the top thriller that does the original justice. But if you prefer a more grounded, believable approach, you will be let down here, as Stalked by My Doctor: The Return takes the already wild series into melodrama orbit. For fans of the wilder side of Lifetime or Roberts himself, this one is a must see, without question.
This sequel once again tasks Eric Roberts to tap into his villain side and he delivers, going even more bananas this time around, which given how creepy he was in the first film, that is no small feat. The original was over the top, but still serious by Lifetime standards, but here Roberts is set loose to dial up the camp and unleash melodrama like never before, which he does with great enthusiasm. The fantasy/delusion scenes really let him go bananas and he makes the most of those sequences, with some hilarious lines and exchanges. Check please! As was the case with his turn in the original, I know some will dislike how outlandish his approach is, but it is so perfect for this kind of over the top, melodrama soaked thriller. He is one of Lifetime’s all time great villains as Beck and this sequel lets him dive off the deep end. The rest of the cast is capable and performs well, but this is the Eric Roberts show, no doubt about that. The cast also includes Hilary Greer, Claire Blackwelder, and Mark Grossman.
Marc Fusion 