Doppelganger: The Evil Within

Barrymore proves she's grown into a mature, talented actress in this psychological horror movie about a young woman haunted by a lethal, ghostly double. Following the brutal murder of her mother in New York, Holly Gooding (Barrymore) leaves Los Angeles, moving into a shared apartment with aspiring screenwriter Patrick Highsmith (Newbern), who can't believe his luck. But Holly's confusing mood swings leave him wondering whether he's dealing with a volatile nymphomaniac or a vulnerable child-woman. The answer, of course, is both. Nesher's direction never does justice to his own script, which moves forward smoothly without neglecting emotional texture: the spiky exchanges between Patrick and his jealous old flame/writing partner Elizabeth (Hope) are especially good.