Psychological thrillers: one of the entertainment industry’s favorite niches. With this explosion in popularity comes Netflix’s newest original film, “I Care a Lot.” 

“I Care a Lot” centers around one Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike), a professional scammer who specializes in swindling elders out of their money by posing as a ‘legal guardian’ mandated by the state. Although the film presents itself as a comedy/thriller, “I Care a Lot” often leans further into the fantastical than its intended genre; wild stunts and caricatures of traditional crime films are frequent and fascinating.

Pike immediately fits in as the movie’s evil-yet-lovable supervillain, whereas costars Eiza González (Grayson’s girlfriend/assistant, Fran) and Peter Dinklage (Roman Lunyov, mobster and Grayson’s attacker) seem out of place in the slightly off-kilter dreamworld “I Care a Lot” takes place in. 

As an audience member, it is hard not to root for Grayson despite her misdeeds. At first glance to her victims, she is a kind, middle-aged woman, who truly does ‘care a lot.’ However, as the film spirals deeper into its plot, Grayson becomes more unhinged. It is truly hard to watch at times, Pike’s performance often the only redeeming factor.

Director J Blakeson (also of “Pitch Perfect” and “The 5th Wave”) has finally achieved what seems to be impossible: a unique crime movie. At every turn of “I Care a Lot,” Grayson sinks deeper into a hole she digs for herself. No overused tropes seem to be present in the film, although this does cause for overcompensation at times.

Although the premise of “I Care a Lot” is somewhat reminiscent of recent blockbuster “Promising Young Woman,” Blakeson is able to create a much more sinister plotline, likely due to its grounding in reality.

There is no doubt that “I Care a Lot” tackles a very real issue, although perhaps one that many are not aware of. Elder abuse, while horrific, is difficult to quantify within a ‘psychological thriller’ setting, and is part of the reason why the movie is at times difficult to follow and at other times downright confusing.

From mafia members to false identities to millions of plot twists, “I Care a Lot” may be the world’s most recent dark comedy, but it certainly will not be the last. Pike’s outstanding performance as Grayson may have been a staple in this film, but as a whole, “I Care a Lot” is mildly entertaining and disturbing at its best and convoluted at its worst. If you want a new Netflix original to watch, sitting this one out may be in your best interest.