Mr Wrong

In this psychological thriller, the heroine, Meg, believes her Mark II Jaguar is haunted by its previous owner who was murdered by a hitchhiker. She tries to sell the car but it refuses to unlock for men. Stalked by the hitchhiker and threatened by other men she encounters, she uses her heightened fear as a spur to assertive self-defence. While deploying the conventions of the thriller to build a feeling of terror the film subverts this genre to examine the threat of sexual violence towards women and the myth that a ‘Mr Right’ will ultimately step into save them. Its at times comic tone and fairy-tale quality balance the seriousness of the underlying feminist message. It was the first New Zealand film made by a female producer/director team. Based on the story by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Cast includes Heather Bolton, David Letch and Margaret Umbers. Reference: “New Zealand Film 1912-1996”. eds. Helen Martin and Sam Edwards Oxford University Press 1997, p. 118.