"Cyberstalker" (a.k.a., "Offline") was wooden in the acting, scripting, and cinematic values. Produced in 2012, the film has the feel of a much older, routine type of "stalker" film. Even the specialized term of "Cybercrimetics" seemed old-fashioned and even comical.
The action unfolded around the character of Aiden Ashley, who, as a teenager, was being stalked by a psychopath. The film portrays the teenage Aiden as a brat. When her parents instruct her to avoid turning on the computer, due to the cyberstalker, she proceeds immediately to turn on the machine and leave it on. She perhaps unintentionally contributes to the deaths of her parents when the stalker enters the home and murders them.
The action then pivots forward thirteen years, where Aiden is now a successful artist remaining under the radar. Yet, due to her success, the stalker returns, and the Philly police move into action to protect her and locate the cyberstalker.
The dialogue often seemed strained with lines like Van Gogh's "there is nothing more artistic than to love others" and the admission that "a man with nothing is a very dangerous animal." In filming, the extensive use of close-ups often resulted in unflattering "big heads" appearing on the screen. There was little credible chemistry between the two lovers, Aiden and Paul Rogers.
The solitary strength of the film was in the character development of the villain. The filmmakers kept the audience guessing about his identity. Yet there were loose ends by the finale, especially the outcome of Detective Page, who had tirelessly worked to protect Aiden.
The filmmakers wanted us to know that "Cyberstalker" was inspired by true events and that 3.4 million a year are stalked, with a 25% outcome in some form of violence. But the film never sustained enough credibility in the realities of stalking victims to rise above the level of a mediocre crime thriller.
The action unfolded around the character of Aiden Ashley, who, as a teenager, was being stalked by a psychopath. The film portrays the teenage Aiden as a brat. When her parents instruct her to avoid turning on the computer, due to the cyberstalker, she proceeds immediately to turn on the machine and leave it on. She perhaps unintentionally contributes to the deaths of her parents when the stalker enters the home and murders them.
The action then pivots forward thirteen years, where Aiden is now a successful artist remaining under the radar. Yet, due to her success, the stalker returns, and the Philly police move into action to protect her and locate the cyberstalker.
The dialogue often seemed strained with lines like Van Gogh's "there is nothing more artistic than to love others" and the admission that "a man with nothing is a very dangerous animal." In filming, the extensive use of close-ups often resulted in unflattering "big heads" appearing on the screen. There was little credible chemistry between the two lovers, Aiden and Paul Rogers.
The solitary strength of the film was in the character development of the villain. The filmmakers kept the audience guessing about his identity. Yet there were loose ends by the finale, especially the outcome of Detective Page, who had tirelessly worked to protect Aiden.
The filmmakers wanted us to know that "Cyberstalker" was inspired by true events and that 3.4 million a year are stalked, with a 25% outcome in some form of violence. But the film never sustained enough credibility in the realities of stalking victims to rise above the level of a mediocre crime thriller.