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Indie company makes comedic stalker movie in Michigan during COVID
By TERRY JACOBY | PUBLISHED: October 19, 2020 at 10:45 a.m. | UPDATED: June 17, 2021 at 4:51 a.m.

Obsession comes in many forms when a model, an ex-con and an overprotective sister all try to smother a psychologist with their idea of affection.

It proves to be problematic.

That’s what happens in the unusual thriller, “If I Can’t Have You …,” a locally produced independent movie filmed throughout Michigan, including locations in Oakland County.

“Part of the draw of the film comes from the unpredictability of the characters,” says Tennille Taraszkiewicz, one of the show’s producers, and actress who plays the lead character. “You never really know who is good or bad. The footage is turning out more comedic than I expected, but I think a good laugh is what we’re all needing right now.”

Five filmmakers developed the story and the production framework with two main writers, Matt Santia and Todd Calvin De Pew.

“It’s a self-aware thriller, which straddles the line between homage and parody,” says Taraszkiewicz, who plays Diane, the psychologist who has a way of surrounding herself with the wrong people. “It’s a stalker film with comedic undertones.”

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