The disturbing story of a serial squatter who tormented a Chestnut Hill woman once he moved into her condo will be turned into a movie based on an episode of Netflix’s hit series “Worst Roommate Ever.”
The upcoming project, led by “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig, will dramatize the menacing saga of Elkins Park native Jamison Bachman. His story first drew national attention with a 2018 New York Magazine article detailing the twisted schemes Bachman used to plant himself in homes with a series of roommates. They all struggled to get rid of him after his abusive streak — well-hidden at first — quickly became apparent and tested their sanity.
MORE: What to stream this week: ‘Evil,’ ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ and ‘Popstar’
Feig’s movie will draw inspiration from the story of Alex Miller, who sublet a room to Bachman at her place in Chestnut Hill in 2017. Bachman introduced himself to Miller as a lawyer named Jed Creek. He endeared himself to her with his charming looks and put ink to paper after a walk at the park with their two dogs.
But when Bachman moved in, he brought a cat with him despite Miller’s allergies. He began moving around her furniture without asking. He became aggressive and erratic. He refused to pay bills, relying on his strict rights as a tenant to bully Miller into accepting his invasion. Miller’s mom did some digging online and learned Bachman’s true identity, including a history of squatting cases up and down the East Coast.
Miller tells her story in an episode of the first season of “Worst Roommate Ever,” detailing how Bachman became violent and increasingly unhinged as she used her own tactics to get under his skin. Bachman went to jail after slashing Miller’s thigh with a knife, and then got sent back to jail when he violated a protection from abuse order.
The story came to a tragic end in November 2017 when Bachman killed his older brother, Harry, who had bailed him out of jail but refused to let Jamison stay at his home in Elkins Park. Jamison then took his own life in prison before a preliminary hearing that December.
The untitled movie is expected to focus on the story of a newly single woman who finds a “seemingly perfect gentleman” to sublet a room in her home, Variety reported. The woman soon realizes the mistake she made and that she had let a serial squatter into her home.
The film will be produced by Blumhouse, the same production company that made “Worst Roommate Ever” and is known for horror films like “Get Out” and “Paranormal Activity.” Feig is best-known for comedies, including “Spy,” “Last Christmas” and the short-lived but beloved TV series “Freaks and Geeks.”
“‘Worst Roommate Ever’ resonates so much because as the internet has connected so many of us, it also makes it easier than ever to lie about who you are,” Blumhouse CEO and founder Jason Blum told Variety. “But then the story is jaw-dropping and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Paul is the perfect director for this because his work always manages to strike a balance between the dark and the light, and I’m very excited to see everything he will bring to this story.”