Romance begins in beauty, but when it festers into obsession, the aftermath is anything but pretty. Bringing this chilling truth to life is Alicia Silverstone who ignites the screen in Pretty Thing, a steamy psychological thriller premiering on Lionsgate Play on August 8. In this contemporary erotic suspense, Silverstone stars as Sophie, a confident, successful pharmaceutical executive who has built a life on her terms. But when a flirtatious encounter with a charming young waiter (played by Karl Glusman) turns into a whirlwind romance, Sophie’s carefully constructed world is upended. A spontaneous work trip to Paris soon reveals Elliot's true nature, his affection hides something far more dangerous. What begins as passion descends into a harrowing fight for control, as Sophie confronts obsession in its darkest form.

Marking Alicia Silverstone’s return to the erotic thriller genre decades after her breakout in Crush, Pretty Thing flips the dynamic, placing her on the opposite side of the psychological game.

Alicia Silverstone on return to erotic thriller

Speaking about her return to the erotic thriller genre after a 15-year hiatus, Alicia Silverstone said, “It's funny that my first film was an erotic thriller. But then I took a real departure from that for a long time. So yeah, this is the first time coming back to that. And I just thought it was a really interesting character. And I love that 90s erotic thrillers, the women who are sexual also have to be killers or manipulative or do something terrible. And in our story, my character is a successful businesswoman who cares very much about her career and has her own desires. And she's unapologetic about that and is very normal and human. And it was Carl's part, Elliot, who's a little bit unhinged and dangerous, potentially, and manipulative. So that's a fun reversal.”