This is the case of a script that unfortunately leads to an "unbelievable" conclusion. Getting there is not much fun either, as the film plays like a minimal information puzzle. There are zero sympathetic characters, especially the unbearably wimpy husband. Since we never see the rape, which is motivation for the entire contrived plot, our housewife's revenge plan really is trivialized right from the git-go. The rapist himself is never even shown, until the moment of his demise. The entire production hinges on improbable events that simply cannot be swallowed as fact. So, what you have is a tedious build up to a conclusion that is not believable, and a movie that is not recommended. - MERK

The promotional catch phrase for this film is "never assume anything." That is more appropriate than one can imagine: it also applies to the film industry itself! Some people have dismissed this film due to it's low budget, relatively unknown actors, and slow pace. Assuming you need big budgets and big stars doesn't guarantee a good film and one that will still remain in your memory for years to come. That said, Positive I.D. is proof that a good idea carefully constructed will surpass most other films again and again.

Director/screenwriter Andy Anderson tells a compelling story without sensationalizing the topic of a rape. The film starts a year after the lead character's rape, and actress Stephanie Rascoe does a fine job in conveying her inability to overcome what has happened and her frustration that many around her can't understand why she just doesn't get on with her life. She then starts assuming another identity and the great thing about the story is that we are not clued in on her reasoning and scheme until the very end. Therein lies the slow pacing, but that's the beauty of this film--we are fascinated by her every move and NEED to stick with her through to the end! And what a satisfying payoff that is, too.

As for the low budget, it actually gives the film a real feeling, like the viewer is right there as an observer in each scene--almost as if these lives were being documented. The same goes for the dialogue. Rascoe's creation of false identities by using actual means of legal loopholes is amazing to watch, and frightening because of the fact that people actually do this. On a trivia note Lauren Lane from TV's sitcom The Nanny plays a rather fun role as the neighbor, which will surprise fans of that show.

Back in 1987 Positive I.D. was fortunately picked up by Universal and was given a wider release in theatres, helping it be discovered by a larger audience and notice from the critics, making several of their top ten lists for that year. Over the years it has survived by word of mouth and cable play, but now it can be a part of your collection since Anchor Bay has reissued it, and for true collectors its availability on DVD makes this a must-have title to own. See why an independent production like this from 1987 has held its own after all these years and is still revered by film buffs everywhere.

Although this feels like a low-budget TV movie that you might find on a cable channel late at night, it is far more compelling and realistic than its adherence to that much maligned formula suggests. In fact, it is everything a TV movie is not: gritty, urban, slow-paced but suspenseful, engrossing yet unsentimental.

The actors, mostly unknowns, do a fine job, especially Stephanie Rascoe as the misunderstood housewife heroine who takes the law and her own identity into places she never thought possible.

Interstingly enough, the most compelling aspect of the film is the theme of identity. As a housewives, Rascoe's character is often seen engulfed by domestic chores, unable to get over her brutal attack. However, as her assumed identity, she becomes somebody else - a modern day femme fatale type that sits uneasily with the portrayal of simmering domestic inertia previously shown in the film. The ending is still shocking today and one of the most dramatic films you are likely to see. A minor gem.