Allure

Allure is a Canadian drama directed by brothers Carlos and Jason Sanchez, who also wrote the screenplay. Evan Rachel Wood plays Laura, a young woman haunted by a history of abuse and a string of failed relationships. While working as a cleaner in other people's homes, she meets Eva, a sixteen-year-old piano prodigy played by Julia Sarah Stone, whose domineering mother controls nearly every part of her life. The two form a bond, and Laura's attachment to the teenager deepens into something closer to obsession. She persuades Eva to leave home and stay with her, and the closeness they build soon gives way to manipulation and dependency. Denis O'Hare, Maxim Roy, Joe Cobden and Jonathan Shatzky appear in supporting roles. The film runs 104 minutes.

The Sanchezes had previously directed the thriller 7 Days, and Allure continues their interest in tense, uneasy relationships. Released in March 2018 and produced by micro_scope, it drew modest audience scores, sitting at 5.1 on IMDb from roughly 2,400 votes and 5.4 on TMDB from a much smaller sample. A critics' rating of 5.8 from 32 reviews places it slightly above the viewer scores, though neither points to broad enthusiasm. The film's attention rests largely on Wood's performance as a character whose need for connection curdles into control, and on the ambiguous, uncomfortable dynamic between the two leads.