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The Killer Next Door – Review
The Killer Next Door – Lifetime – 2 hours and 3 minutes
Julie woke up in a hospital bed with her mother and sister-in-law by her side. Julie noticed her stomach was flat and frantically wondered where her baby was located. Before the accident, Julie was in labor and on the way to the hospital. For a brief moment, Julie is relieved to learn her baby was born healthy via C-section. But her husband, Matthew, didn’t make it. She is heartbroken and devastated. Nearly a decade later, Ally – Julie’s sister-in-law – convinced Julie to move in her neighborhood. Julie is happy her son Matty has his aunt Ally but she needs help with child care while she looks for a new job and gets acclimated to the neighborhood. Ally tells Julie to sign up to the Hello Neighbor app. It’s an app that creates a private social network for the neighborhood. On the app, you can find a baby sitter, get pothole warnings, get gossip, and a lot more. Julie signs up for the app and finds Marisol. Marisol is a hard-working law student that babysits for extra money. After a few days, Julie’s home is broken into while she and Matty are upstairs. The cops don’t take her seriously so Ally tells her to post about the robbery on the app. The first few comments are nice, but soon the neighbors turn on her. And things don’t get better. Blake, her love interest, is in an accident, her home is blasted on social media for a party, and her son goes missing. Julie believes she is a target, but who could hate her this much and why?
This movie is a mystery until you see the killer. Then, the mystery and fun are over. Also, the killer is a little too obvious for Lifetimers, especially when the title is a dead give away. If you are going to create a mystery, offer the viewers several options. If you are going to create a thriller, allow us to see the movie through the killers perspective. The story loses steam and starts to bore your audience. With that being said, the first 5 minutes provide a deeply sad moment. And the last 5 minutes provide a great laugh.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
I can see your ear, barely – Julie
Well, aren’t we a pair? – ally
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A Brush with Love – Review
A Brush with Love – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Jamie has spent more time teaching art than making it. When her best friend Ava learns she is opening a second location for her art school, Ava speaks up. She wants Jamie to rediscover her passion and enter into the Emerging Artist Show Case. The best painter gets a solo showcase in Paris. That is Jamie dream. But she just can find a spark. Ava has an idea. She tells Jamie to create a vision board of her hopes, dreams, and aspirations. A year prior, Ava created one and she has her dream job and fiance. Jamie scoffs at the idea because she has entered the contest in the past and never selected. Inspired by Ava’s vision board, she decides to give it a try. However, instead of using magazine cut-outs, she paints her vision board. The board displays her dreams of going to Paris with a solo show and the man of her dreams handing her a rose. But the man’s face is in shadow. Jamie doesn’t have any idea of whom the man could be but she has 2 options. First, Max. Max is Ava’s brother. They grew up together. She doesn’t like him because he consistently teased and tormented her. He wrote her secret admirer letters for a year; then stood her up for the first date. Also, Max has never committed to anything in his life. Second is Michael. Michael accidentally thought Jamie’s child painting class was an adult class. He wanted to leave but Jamie convinced her to stay. She likes his charm and accent. When Jamie learns Michael holds her dream in his steady hands, will she choose Max instead?
Once the characters express their true feelings and intentions, it’s not hard to see who Jamie will pick. But be careful with assumptions. She may have kissed one of them but her final painting shows who she truly picked. The acting and storylines were decent, the paintings were phenomenal. I hope the actors got to keep the portrait of themselves. It would be a true sight to behold in person. This movie follows the Hallmark formula with sage advice for an aspiring artist. In addition, it shines a light on the power of vision boards.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
I mentioned your relentless, right? – Jamie
When you have a clear vision of what you want, you will find a clear path to achieving it – Ava
We’re adults now, so can we start over – Max
It’s a happy coincidence – Michael
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Mommy Would Never Hurt You – Review
Mommy Would Never Hurt You – LMN – 2 hours and 3 minutes
Riley comes home with good news for her mother, Monica, and her sister, Beth. She started a successful bakery and got engaged to a wonderful man named Aiden. Her mother gives an even keel response and tells her to wash her hands, change clothes, and take a shower. Monica tells Riley that Beth was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and anything (food, air, arguing) can trigger a flare-up. Riley knew Beth was ill, but she didn’t know the full extent to her symptoms. Beth has seizures, fainting spells, and constant pain. In time, Riley sees Beth’s hair falling out and her nails are damaged with crescent moon shapes. Riley believes that Monica has gone overboard and is lying about Beth’s symptoms. When Riley starts to have the same symptoms, she knows that she and Beth most leave. Three years ago, after their father was killed in a car accident, Riley ran away but Beth refused to go. Now, Riley is determined to make her sister leave. Monica will do anything to make her girls stay including murder.
Two decades ago, a story like this would seem unbelievable. With the real-life story of Gypsy Rose and movies like Everything, Everything, movies like this feel all too real. Monica creates a prison of control for her daughter when her husband dies, leaving one daughter to escape and another to fall prey to her manipulation. Monica’s will leave a chill up her spine as she changes from kind to demonic with one smile or a head tilt. The make-up artist did a great job of making Beth look just sick enough to be a victim. The writer did excellent research on the effects on hair and nails. This detail is often missed on stories like this. Be warned that you will be confused by an ending, but it is not the real end. It is a weird Hallmark moment of bonding before the Lifetime ending.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Tell that to dad – Beth
Can I just come inside? I have a lot to say and I don’t want to do it over an intercom – Riley
Why did you come back if you’re just going to tell us how to live our lives – Monica
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The Twisted Son – Review
The Twisted Son – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes
One year after her son’s death, Paige is depressed while her family moves on. She can’t work or spend time with the family, and barely leaves the house. Her husband Nathan attends their daughter’s games and works longer hours. Her daughter Addy is frustrated at Paige for ignoring her. Addy wants her mom to understand that she lost her brother too. Since they lost Paige’s income, Nathan suggests renting their son, Zack’s room for rent. Paige is horrified and disgusted by the idea. But with some time to think it over, Paige realizes she is not ready for work so renting the room to a female would be a good idea. She puts up fliers on the college campus to attract renters. Brandon grabs the flier and rips it down. Brandon goes to Paige’s home and asks to rent. She turns him down but is swayed when she learns he is studying the same topic as Zack. Addy believes that Brandon is trying to replace Zack. But when Addy sees darkness in Brandon, she asks Nathan to move him out. Paige is irate about the request but Brandon is calm. However, behind his eye is a burning rage that can not be extinguished.
This is a typical “how long will it take for her to figure it out” drama. The audience knows how crazy Brandon is from the first moment he is on screen. However, one by one, the characters must figure it out for themselves. When Paige finally figures it out, you stultify with the lack of real drama. There are a few “Brandon” moments that will make you say OMG, but not enough to save his film. And one question is left unanswered, what really happened to Zack? Accidental overdose or murder.
I give it 2 out of 5 stars
I don’t want the nightmares to end. Its the only time I get to see Zack – Paige
I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair – Nathan
You really think you should be driving in this condition – Brandon
You’re not part of this family – Abby
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Categories: A Brush with Love, Andrea Bogart, Andrea Roth, Arielle Kebbel, Eric Osborne, hallmark, John-Michael Carlton, Katie Douglas, Kayla Henry, Kristen Vaganos, Libby Munro, lifetime, lifetime movie network, lmn, Made for TV, Micavrie Amaia, Mommy Would Never Hurt You, movie, nick bateman, review, The Killer Next Door, The Twisted Son, Tygh Runyan, Zack Gold
thatdarngirlmovie.reviews 
Do you ever get tired of putting down other people’s work? Do you do anything creative of your own? Do you even realize these films are intentionally written to specific formulas? So, of course they’re familiar.
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I give an honest opinion. You can be familiar but entertaining. Some have mastered this but others have not. Yes I am creative in many ways. Like creating a blog you took the time to read and comment on. Or programming, crochet, creating Alexa skills, cooking, painting, etc. I am guessing you have a personal stake in one or several of my reviews. If you do or do not, you can always write a blog of your own.
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