Every love story has risks — but some are more dangerous than others. In Pretty Thing, Alicia Silverstone steps into a role that twists desire into something deadly. Coming soon to Lionsgate Play, the film is a slow-burn erotic thriller that shows how quickly passion can spiral into obsession.
Silverstone plays Sophie, a high-level pharmaceutical executive who has built her life on discipline and control. Her marriage is muted, her work consumes her time, and she rarely lets people in. When she begins an affair with Elliot (Karl Glusman), a younger man who seems eager to please, it feels like a decision she can manage.
But what starts as an indulgence soon unravels into something darker, and her lover’s fascination morphs into a dangerous obsession. Soon, Sophie finds herself fighting to reclaim her life, her freedom, and her very sense of control.
Written by Jack Donnelly and directed by Justin Kelly, Pretty Thing doesn’t lean on explosive twists or genre clichés. Instead, it builds an atmosphere that keeps viewers on edge, slowly tightening its grip until every glance and gesture feels like a threat.
For Silverstone, the film also marks a full-circle moment. Her very first movie, The Crush (1993), also told a story of obsession, but with the roles reversed. Back then, she played the teenage stalker; in Pretty Thing, she is the one being stalked. The contrast highlights both how far she’s come and the new weight she brings to this kind of story.
On returning to the stalker thriller genre, Alicia Silverstone told UPI, “It’s fun to revisit it. They’re both in some kind of addictive game. She wants this to stop and he wants it to keep going. They’re both equally determined… It’s an erotic thriller and it starts like a romance. You think, ‘Oh, this is like this really beautiful, romantic story’ and then it takes a turn. I love that about it.”
Experience the tension, the passion, and the danger when Pretty Thing starts streaming exclusively on Lionsgate Play on September 5 via PLDT Home, Smart and Cignal.
