Forgotten Amanda Seyfried Thriller Gets Second Chance on Tubi
A steamy 2009 psychological thriller starring Amanda Seyfried alongside Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore arrives on free streaming this February, offering viewers a chance to rediscover what critics once dismissed.
Amanda Seyfried's current box office success with The Housemaid has audiences craving more psychological thrills. They won't have to wait long. A forgotten erotic thriller from 2009 lands on Tubi February 1, giving viewers free access to what many consider Seyfried's most daring early performance.
Chloe bombed spectacularly upon release. The $14 mn production barely scraped together $13.6 mn worldwide. Critics savaged it. Audiences ignored it. But streaming platforms have a funny way of resurrecting buried films.
The Plot That Shocked Toronto
The story centers on Catherine and David Stewart, played by Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson. This wealthy Toronto couple appears perfect from the outside. Catherine suspects her music professor husband of sleeping with students. Her solution? Hire a prostitute named Chloe to test his faithfulness.
What starts as a simple sting operation spirals into dangerous territory when Chloe begins sharing explicit details of her encounters with David. The psychological games intensify. Boundaries blur. Control slips away.
Critical Disaster Meets Hidden Talent
Rotten Tomatoes slapped Chloe with a brutal 38% rating. Most reviewers dismissed it as pretentious art house nonsense. But some critics spotted something special in Seyfried's performance, calling it "sensational" with "spooky, authentic poise."
Both Neeson and Moore earned praise for "elevating the pulpy material." Metro's Anna Smith went further, labeling it "a guilty pleasure of the highest order." Maybe the film wasn't as terrible as everyone remembered.
Perfect Timing for Rediscovery
Chloe shares DNA with Fatal Attraction and other late 1980s psychological thrillers. The formula should have worked. Three talented leads. Steamy subject matter. Toronto's upscale backdrop.
Instead, audiences found the erotically charged atmosphere too cerebral. Too European. The film's art house sensibilities clashed with mainstream expectations. Timing matters in Hollywood. Sometimes great performances get buried under poor marketing and bad luck.
Seyfried's current success creates the perfect opportunity for reevaluation. The Housemaid proves audiences still hunger for dark, sensual thrillers. Chloe offers similar thrills without the theater ticket price.