The term bunny boiler strikes fear into the heart of any man and many where scared stiff by Fatal Attraction back in 1987.
This week the strange stalker woman who can't take no for an answer returns to the big screen this week in the form of Obsessed.
Idris Elba stars as Derek Charles, a successful, married businessman. Things are looking up for him after receiving a promotion and his marriage to his wife Lisa (Beyonce Knowles), couldn't be better.
His life is complicated however, when Lisa (Ali Larter), arrives at his job as a temp worker.
After flirting and arguably encouraging attention from Lisa, she starts stalking him, which puts his personal, as well as his professional life in jeopardy and destroying his ideal world.
So to celebrate the release of the movie we take a look at some of the best stalker/bunny boiler movies that have graced the big screen over the years.
Fatal Attraction
Of course you can't talk about bunny boilers on the big screen without talking about Fatal Attraction, that scarred the shit out of every male at the end of the eighties.
The film followed Dan Archer (Michael Douglas) who, while his wife and daughter are out of town, has a one night stand with Alex Forrest (Glenn Close).
Immediately after the encounter, Dan wants to put the experience behind him, but Alex refuses to let go of their relationship. Driven to madness by his rejection, she turns to violently harassing both Dan and his family
This terrifying morality play, which takes the consequences of infidelity to new heights of horror, became one of 1987's biggest box-office successes.
It went on to pick up six Academy Award Nominations: including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress--Glenn Close, Best Supporting Actress--Anne Archer, Best (Adapted) Screenplay.
Misery
Anne Wilkes takes her stalkerish behaviour to new extremes in Misery, which was released back in back in 1990.
The factionary character of Annie Wilkes was famously played by Kathy Bates in the big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s novel in 1990.
Wilkes, a nurse, saves the life of author Paul Sheldon when he is crippled in a car accident and takes him to her home.
Sheldon is the writer of Wilkes’ favourite romance novels, which star Misery Chastain, her favourite literary character.
When she discovers that Sheldon will be ending the series of Misery novels with his latest release, in which Misery dies, Wilkes subjects a bedridden Sheldon to a string of physical and psychological tortures.
She breaks his ankles with a sledgehammer so he cannot escape and forces him to write a new novel which brings Misery back to life.
For her performance Kathy Bates picked up a Best Actress Oscar.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona is one of the more recent films in this genre, released earlier this year.
Two young American women, Vicky and Cristina, come to Barcelona for a summer holiday. Vicky is sensible and engaged to be married; Cristina is emotionally and sexually adventurous.
In Barcelona, they're drawn into a series of unconventional romantic entanglements with Juan Antonio, a charismatic painter, who is still involved with his tempestuous ex-wife Maria Elena.
Penelope Cruz's performance as the slightly unhinged Maria who can't bear to see her ex-husband with any other woman earnt her rave reviews.
She went on to pick up the Best Supporting Oscar for her performance.
Play Misty For Me
Play Misty for Me is one of the original and best stalker/bunny boiler movies that have graced the big screen, it was also Clint Eastwood's directorial debut.
This movie paved the way for the likes of Fatal Attraction and all those that have come after it.
Eastwood plays Dave Garver a self-centered disc jockey at a late night radio station in Carmel who bumps into Evelyn (Jessica Walter) at a bar and goes home with her for what he believes is a one night stand.
Dave discovers that Evelyn is the woman who has been calling the station requesting that he play the song "Misty" and dedicate to her.
When Evelyn starts showing up at his house and calling the station for more from the man Dave realizes that the woman views their interaction as something more than what it was.
When another woman comes on the scene Evelyn steps up her stalkerish behaviour by interrupting his business meetings with public accusations and sneaking into his house and tearing up his clothes and attacking his housekeeper.
And while Obsessed has already topped the American box office is it as good as these gems in this genre of film?
Obsessed is out now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw