You're Acting Like My Dad or Something
Alyssa Haroldson (Molly McCook) left her home town for LA to become a stand up comedian, and also because back home she was contending with a stalker, one who appears to be able to find her cell number when ever she changes it. It is during a gig that she meets Oliver (Jack Turner - My Summer Prince) who after chatting with Alyssa learns that she is looking for a place to rent and he knows of a vacant place in the block where he lives. And so Alyssa finds herself moving into the high tech apartments owned and managed by Robert (Ted McGinley - The Bridge - Part 2) and his sister Helen (Anne Sward - My Christmas Love). What Alyssa doesn't know is that Robert has psychological issues due to his daughter becoming estranged and his sister constantly belittling him. On top of that Robert has hidden cameras installed in all the rooms, allowing him to pry on his tenants and in particular Alyssa.
When I came across "The Landlord", which also goes by the name "Fatherly Obsession", I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was going to be similar to the Sharon Stone movie "Sliver"; well it does feature an apartment owner snooping on a resident with high tech surveillance equipment whilst also having access to their apartment. And there is certainly a very clear similarity although this one tries to up the stakes when it comes to the high tech side as Robert uses virtual reality glasses so he can feel like he is right there,, in the room with Alyssa when he is snooping on her.
But "The Landlord" has an unusual twist on the norm because Robert's onsession with Alyssa and his snooping on her isn't sexual but fatherly as she reminds him of his own daughter. As such he is classically over protective, threatening Oliver to leave her alone whilst he blackmails another tenant who he knows a secret on due to his secret cameras. It is entertaining but in truth nothing overly special as for all sense and purpose Robert ends up just another obsessed stalker with a manipulative side which he uses to cause Alyssa to need him.
There is though one thing which works for "The Landlord" and that is having Ted McGinley as Robert because McGinley does have that nice guy, fatherly persona which makes him playing a creep all that more creepy.
What this all boils down to is that "The Landlord" has its plus points and certainly has a creepy tone to it. But at the same time it has certain aspects which are a little too cheesy and far fetched.
