Plot: Julie (Amber Midthunder) is ready to leave her small town behind and embark on a fresh start, with college just around the corner. Meanwhile, David (Brett Zimmerman) is on a new path of his own and just started as a police officer in town. As the town is a small one, the two soon cross paths and since Julie is given a break on her speeding, David even knows to let her off with a verbal warning. He runs into her again at a local diner, where Julie works as a waitress and soon enough, she is giving her phone number and the two make plans for a date. The sparks fly right away and Julie is thrilled, as David seems to be an ideal boyfriend and their connection deepens, even though not much time has passed. But when he starts to display some odd, even controlling behaviors, is David just nervous about his new job and girlfriend, or is his true self starting to shine through?

Entertainment Value: This Lifetime style, melodrama laced thriller was based on a true story, but a lot of dramatic license has been taken, so don’t expect even a loosely faithful adaptation of the real life events. But Only Mine is an intense, well performed take on the obsessed partner genre, driven by a believable villain and just enough melodrama to keep you reeled in. The narrative follows a well worn premise, sadly one that is common even in real life and while familiar, enough slightly fresh twists and turns are found here to evade concerns. So yes, we have seen this kind of obsessed stalker narrative time and again, but for fans of these kind of thrillers, the concept holds repeat visit potential and is ripe for melodrama. And this movie delivers about all you could expect from the genre and always keeps you hooked in, with a good blend of over the top melodrama and more grounded thriller elements. Only Mine hits the notes Lifetime fans look for, with a lean toward a darker narrative and bursts of melodrama, rather than an unhinged, out of control style of thriller. So if you like these obsessive, melodramatic thrillers, give Only Mine a look.

A movie like this one can thrive or fizzle based on the villain, as you need a competent, believable bad guy to drive the narrative. If you don’t get those creeper vibes or buy the villain as a threat, thrillers like this can unravel, but thankfully, Only Mine has no such issues to deal with. Brett Zimmerman brings our stalker to life in vivid fashion, oozing creepiness from the first encounter. Of course, he also shows some charm at first, so you can see how Julie gets involved with him, but Zimmerman’s role really lights up once the descent into obsession begins. He is able to convey the persona shifts well and has an unpredictable, potential violence vibe that makes most of his scenes quite tense, which benefits the material. His performance is dialed up and on the over the top side, but that is what works in these kind of thrillers. Amber Midthunder is also effective as the charismatic, if quite naive lead character, Julie. She keeps the role likable, even as a chain of horrible decisions unfurls and while the chemistry with Zimmerman isn’t great, it is passable. The cast also includes Ellen Wroe, Claudia Ferri, and Chris Browning.

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