Richard Pierce, James Alan Ross
“A Lifeguard’s Obsession” was a routine thriller about a psychotic lifeguard’s obsession with women. Blake Hopkins exploits his position as a lifeguard and uses his binoculars to get to know his victims. The predator then oozes the charm to ingratiate himself, prior to letting the mask slip, and the result is mayhem and madness on the beaches of Florida.
The talented artist Maggie Temple is the object of Blake’s attention following his previous obsession when he took the life of a young woman and her boyfriend. Now, Blake must find a way to get Maggie’s boyfriend out of the way. Cade Kerrigan is also a lifeguard and a popular “influencer.” His internet celebrity has gone to his head, yet he still recognizes how special Maggie is in his life.
The film was by-the-numbers with little imagination in the narrative choices. It is only through the heroic efforts of both Maggie and her friend Tina Jackson that Blake is thwarted. Yet in the climactic sequence, he is still able to rise from the dead like the phoenix after first getting clocked in the head, then stabbed in the jugular vein with an exacto knife.
The best part of the film was the location footage with glimpses of the beautiful ocean. But the best advice would be: Don’t go near the water when Blake Hopkins is on duty.