Heartthrob

Shortly after high school graduation, Henry, a shy valedictorian, encounters Samantha, a girl with a reputation as a bimbo at school. Their first impressions are colored by preconceptions, setting up a tense yet intriguing dynamic for what will unfold between them.

They argue at first about their preconceptions, but Henry apologizes and offers Samantha a ride home after her shift. This exchange softens their stance and plants seeds for a growing, cautious romance.

Henry becomes incensed by Samantha's past relationships and murders one of her former lovers. The act marks a drastic turn from budding romance to violent fixation.

Henry is accepted to MIT, a university favored by his mother. He decides to stay in town with Samantha, but she, wary of his obsessive tendencies, breaks up with him to allow him to pursue MIT.

Believing someone is pressuring Samantha away from him, Henry begins targeting those he suspects are responsible and ends up killing her close friend Dustin. The murder deepens his fixation and escalates the danger surrounding Samantha.

Henry phones Samantha, claiming he has resolved things with MIT and invites her to his house to celebrate. The call pulls her back into his orbit and signals a calculated move to reassert control.

During a homemade dinner at Henry's house, Samantha hears a thump from upstairs and discovers Henry's mother tied to a chair. Henry pulls a knife and admits he was responsible for Dustin's death, presenting Samantha with an ultimatum: release his mother or kill her to solve their relationship problems.

Samantha persuades Henry to release his mother, who escapes through a window. He begs Samantha to run away with him, but she refuses. He proclaims his love for her and then stabs himself, dying on the spot.

Two days after Henry's death, Samantha receives his journal in the mail and decides to keep it secret. Her shrink notes that the relationship was unhealthy, yet she concedes that Henry truly loved her and saw her differently than others.

The film ends with Samantha sitting on the floor of the skating rink where Henry first brought her on their date. She whispers 'I love you, Henry,' a confession born of regret but also of a lasting, complicated bond.