Perfect Stranger 2007

Under the pseudonym David Shane, reporter Rowena Price and her partner, researcher Miles Haley, delve into a scandal involving Senator Stephen Sachs, who is secretly engaging in sexual relationships with male interns while publicly denouncing homosexuality. Unfortunately, their investigation hits a brick wall when the whistleblower retracts their statement, leaving Rowena frustrated. The situation worsens when Rowena’s editor, who is also a supporter of Sachs, halts the story and insists that Rowena take a vacation.

While heading home, Rowena encounters her childhood friend Grace Clayton, who seeks assistance in exposing Harrison Hill, portrayed by Bruce Willis, a wealthy advertising executive. Grace entrusts Rowena with emails that serve as proof of an affair with Hill, which he has just ended. The plot thickens when Grace is later found dead, under suspicious circumstances—drowned and poisoned with belladonna, a potent toxin often associated with witchcraft. This prompts Rowena to suspect Harrison’s involvement. The investigation is led by Lieutenant Karen Tejada, who engages with Grace’s mother and allows Rowena, a close friend of the deceased, to share her insights.

As the investigation unfolds, Rowena learns that Grace was aware of Rowena’s true identity behind the pen name David Shane, a secret Rowena has protected fervently. During this time, Rowena also questions Miles about his past relationship with Grace, unearthing more connections that complicate the situation. They discover Grace’s emails containing explicit correspondence, yet the true identity of ADEX, whom she was communicating with, remains ambiguous.

As if amidst a tangled web of lies and hidden motives, it is revealed that Grace was pregnant, raising further questions about the potential father. Rowena decides to infiltrate Harrison’s company, H2A, under the alias Katherine Pogue, with Miles assisting her. During her undercover assignment, she learns that Harrison’s wealth largely stems from his wife, Mia, suggesting that his affairs are rooted in financial secrecy. Rowena attempts to seduce Hill, both online and offline, yet fails to realize that the individual she communicates with online is actually Miles, who is infatuated with her.

Things take a dark turn when Rowena is caught snooping by Hill and subsequently fired, which causes a series of decisions that lead her further down a murky path. Tensions escalate as it becomes clear that Cameron, Rowena’s ex-boyfriend, may have had a recent encounter with Grace, leaving the paternity of the unborn child in question.

Eventually, Rowena confronts Miles after stumbling upon a disturbing shrine dedicated to her, alongside explicit evidence of his relationship with Grace. The made-for-TV plot thickens with Miles revealing Rowena’s potential motivations behind the crime. As he outlines her possible involvement in Grace’s murder, Rowena’s buried trauma resurfaces, unveiling a tragic past.

In a climactic twist, rather than succumbing to his revelations, Rowena resorts to violence, killing Miles and repurposing the narrative to make it seem as though he attacked her. As she calls the police, the ambiguity of truth and deceit hangs heavily in the air, punctuated by a mysterious figure who witnesses the unfolding events.