Only Mine: A tame thriller and tragic story

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: NETFLIX
While Only Mine isn't the most terrifying film, it depicts a story that people have faced before.

Only Mine, released on Jan. 15, is one of the latest thrillers to appear on Netflix.

While it was based on a true story (which usually adds a bit more realism and suspense to a film), the film utilized a lot of creative freedom which drastically changed the overall story. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but unfortunately the subpar acting ruined the movie's suspense and believability.

Only Mine is about an all too familiar love story where a young girl, Julie, falls in love with a man who is quite a bit older. Everything seems perfect at first until some controlling behaviours start to be revealed.

As the movie progresses, his manipulative and abusive traits become very apparent, but as he is an authority figure, no one believes Julie is telling the truth. She has to find her own strength to overcome and escape the grasp of this psychopath.

While the true story this movie is based on is absolutely tragic, the main character, Julie, wasn't a strong enough actress to bring the emotion to life on screen. She seemed very awkward and scripted through most of the movie, which ruined any sense of fear or suspense. While her acting wasn't completely flatlined, it wasn't enough to make it seem believable.

Only Mine also had a bit of a mockumentary style to it. Throughout the movie, there were snippets of interviews with key characters throughout explaining their side of the story. While this added an interesting flare to the movie, it made it feel like you were watching a long episode of America's Most Wanted.

These mini interviews also broke up the flow of the movie, which interrupted the suspense. For a thriller, this Only Mine was very tame and only had a slight uncomfortable feeling to it. It isn't until the ending where the film becomes quite intense.

The ending of the film is where the movie completely separates itself from the true story. While I understand why it was changed (to add a more dramatic and suspenseful conclusion), it wasn't very realistic and seemed a bit hokey. However, the dedication to the real-life victim at the very end did add a nice, emotional conclusion.

Overall, Only Mine is a very mild thriller with some poor acting, but does portray a very real story that many face.

While I wouldn't recommend watching this film for hardcore horror and thriller lovers, it is definitely a tragic story that you should check out.

If you are interested in the true story behind Only Mine, search for the Laura Kucera story and make sure to have a couple tissues handy.