“Eye Candy” (2015 MTV)
In this modern world, dominated by iPhones and Kardashians, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Eye Candy, MTV’s first crime drama series based on the R.L. Stein novel of the same name, explores this idea. The show follows a young New Yorker, Lindy, as she is being stalked by a cyberstalker turned serial killer.
I find this show to be interesting because it takes on the premise of what could happen in this world run with technology that is so easily hacked or compromised. Look at the iCloud leaked photo scandal from last year for an example that nothing is as safe as it seems. Lindy is a computer wiz whose sister was abducted three years ago. Ever since then, Lindy has been trying to find her sister and help find other missing people that the police have given up on.
Lindy falls victim to a cyberstalker using the MTV version of Tindr called “Flirtual” – probably because Tindr didn’t want their brand tied to something that shows innocent online daters slashed to pieces. The motive of the serial killer is to stop people from lying on their profiles and by “lying” they mean hiding their flaws, from acne covered by Instagram filters to crooked teeth hidden with a closed smile. This killer is looking for the “perfect one,” and that means Lindy.
“Human life – so delicate, so fragile, easy to extinguish. I look for the freshest, the juiciest, the most tender, USDA prime, Grade A, low fat, ultra lean. The One. Used to be I had to go outside to find them, not anymore. The Internet – God’s gift to psychopaths. Are any of them real? I need someone real – someone who understands. Why do they lie? They’ll pay… one by one.” – Eye Candy, Episode 1: “K3U”
So who can be the perfect one? Insert Victoria Justice, the 21-year-old former Nickelodeon starlet from Zoey 101 and Victorious who has a stunning face and a size two frame – if that. Based on her Nickelodeon background, most people didn’t expect much from her performance. But she’s surprisingly good in her role on Eye Candy and I can definitely see her being offered a role in a horror movie in the future based on her scream skills.
Something that makes the show interesting is that it is shown from Lindy’s point of view, but with cutaways to the perspective of the murderer. This is cool because it almost pays homage to the great horror classics Halloween. In that moment, you are in the killer’s mind, thus making you the killer like Michael Myers in the beginning of the classic film. Eye Candy also pays homage to Texas Chainsaw Massacre in episode three, “HBTU,” by hanging a victim’s teeth from the ceiling. Episode four, “YOLO,” featured found footage on a GoPro camera much like in The Blair Witch Project, REC., and the Paranormal Activity films (to name a few). The face of the “Stowaway” ghost/legend featured in the episode oddly resembles the melted droopy face likeness of the iconic Ghostface mask from the Scream series.
It should be mentioned that, although this show is on MTV, it should not be tossed aside as something “childish” for the MTV and CW demographic. This is a whole new venture for MTV and it is far more intense than its likely competitors, Pretty Little Liars or Vampire Diaries. The amount of violence, gore, and suspense are geared toward someone who is more comfortable with Criminal Minds or American Horror Story (the good seasons – not Freakshow. Eye Candy is way better than Freakshow – Lana Del Rey covers? Really, Ryan Murphy?).
“Forget ‘Catfish’ — ‘Eye Candy’ will make viewers never want to online date again.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“Just don’t expect ‘Eye Candy’ to take the path of ‘Scream’ or other teen quasi-horror flicks that spend their time winking at the audience. ‘Eye Candy’ takes its psycho-killer seriously… If you’re up for an hour of the ominous, ‘Eye Candy’ earns its way into the next generation of noir.” – NY Daily News
“‘Eye Candy’ a promising dip into crime genre for MTV” – LA Times
So, if you’re waiting for Pretty Little Liars to be interesting again or want to find a show with a bit more action in it so your boyfriend isn’t falling asleep while Aria and the girls try to avoid A – I’d suggest Eye Candy; it’s like CSI meets Stalker meets Pretty Little Liars.
Mondays at 9pm Central on MTV
– Michael Cotter, Assitant Poetry Editor
