Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer – Review

Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Shan’ann has great news for her husband Chris, she is pregnant with their third child.  Both are happy but Chris hopes it’s a boy.  They have two beautiful little girls named Bella and CeCe and plan to name their third child Nico if it’s a boy.  On the way to a convention to sell her products, Shan’ann visits her family in North Carolina sans Chris.  While in North Carolina, Shan’ann gets a credit alert on her phone.  She and Chris are attempting to pay down their credit card so she doesn’t understand why he would use it.  She calls and he says he forgot because he was with the guys and hangs up. Shan’ann is shocked by his abrupt ending and starts to worry.  And she has a right to be worried.  Chris has been cheating with his secretary Nikki.  He told Nikki that he and Shan’ann are separated but live in the same house.  After days with no contact, Shan’ann demands that Chris comes to North Carolina.  He is distant and cold when they see each other.  After a day on the beach, Shan’ann asks Chris a tough question: Do you want this baby?  Chris says no and Shan’ann is devastated.  Now, Shan’ann’s friends haven’t seen or heard from her in days.  They call the police to do a wellness check on their home.  Nickole notices Shan’ann’s phone, car, the children’s car seat, and her usual shoes are all there.  She believes something is wrong.  She has no idea how right she is and the ripple effect it will have on the country.

Based on the true story of the Watts family murder, this is a horrific story to watch.  With spot-on news interviews and bodycam footage of Chris during the investigation, you will get a chill up your spine as he lies.  You will see Shan’ann talk about being happy in your life and how she was overcoming lupus with 2 small children and one of the way.  You wish her and her children’s lives had a different outcome.  Then you see him in the police interview room.  Before they give him a polygraph test, Chris sits with the examiner and explains what happened in the days leading up to her and the children’s disappearance.  Finally, he gets the results, the disgusting and sad truth of what happened to Shan’ann, Bella, CeCe, and Niko comes to light.  And it will break your heart.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars

Would I lie to you – Chris

Just be happy. Period. End of story – Shan’ann

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The Wrong Housesitter – Review

The Wrong Housesitter – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes

After a last-minute work obligation, Dan’s girlfriend Mary can’t housesit while he is away.  Dan has no choice but to find a housesitter.  At the book store, Dan bumps into Kristen.  Kristen mentions she is an aspiring writer taking odd jobs like waitressing and housesitting until she gets a book deal.   Dan stops in his tracks when he hears she is a housesitter and hires her on the spot.  He drives Kristen to his place and she takes a look around.  She can’t believe he would need a housesitter in a neighborhood so nice.  Dan explains that newly bought homes are often a target for robbers because neighbors aren’t sure who belongs and who doesn’t.  Kristen takes the job, leaves references, and plans to come back the next day.  Dan is elated he found a sitter at the last minute.  His elation is short-lived.  Dan makes a rookie mistake of signing a contract without reading it.  Now, he won’t be able to get rid of Kristen for a year and her obsession with him is growing.  Who will be the first to fall under Kristen’s spell?

This movie is a huge build-up to a disappointing ending.   Kristen adds spy cameras, redecorates, moves in, and racks up a body count and … nothing happens.  You will expect more from this plot after it took so much time talking about contracts, tenets versus houseguests, and squatters’ rights.  You will want some sweeping declaration for a change in the law but nothing happens.  Maybe their will be a part two to finish the story but this movie just seems unfinished.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars

Well, you are a lot more handsome than Hemingway (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer)- Kristen

You want me to meet you there – Mary

I never signed any document – Dan

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Friends Who Kill – Review

Friends Who Kill – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Lacy is falling behind in all her subjects and uses her parents looming divorce to distract them from her failures.  Her mother, Hope, is trying to get Lacy focused on her studies but nothing is working.  Also, Hope’s guilt of working too much and the divorce allows her to forgive Lacy for her shortcoming instead of correcting them.  At school, Lacy’s friend Harper bumps into a new girl.  The new girl introduces herself as Cassie.  In lieu of apologizing, Cassie asks the girls for directions to homeroom.  Since Lacy is in the same homeroom, Lacy offers to walk Cassie.  Cassie and Lacy discover they have a lot of the same classes, have parents going through a divorce, and they are both doing bad at school.  They connect instantly.  When Harper finds Lacy, she feels like a third wheel instead of a best friend.  Lacy is just happy to have a friend who understands.  This caring friendship will become manipulative, dangerous, and deadly.

At first, you know Cassie is dangerous.  However, you don’t know why she latches on to Lacy.  A seasoned Lifetime viewer will assume Lacy’s dad’s affair is the focal point of the obsession, but you are wrong.  It’s oversharing on social media that brings a deadly situation to Lacy’s doorstep.  Cassie’s ability to lie at the drop of a dime is amazing to watch.  So, keep this movie in the queue for a girl’s night in.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Too late, I already decided to not to – Cassie

She can be a little sweet – Lacy

When your done wallowing, let me know and then we can study – Harper

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Amazing Winter Romance – Review

Amazing Winter Romance – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Julie’s inspirational column has been lacking inspiration.  Her boss tells her she needs to change or lose her job.  Her boss suggests she go back to her home town to enjoy the winter and gain some inspiration from family and friends.  Taking her boss’s advice and not wanting to lose her job, Julie is on the next flight out.  After getting some baked goods, Julie hears a little girl begging her dad to go to the maze.  Julie thought she knew everything about her town but the maze is new.  At home, her parents hint that her ex-boyfriend Nate is doing something with all their snow and she should check it out for herself.  Julie goes to Nate’s and is impressed to see he used all the town’s shoveled snow to make a huge snow maze.   The maze has little treasures inside like ice cream, mittens, and hot cocoa.  Julie is inspired to write about the maze and bring Nate’s work to the forefront.  Julie finds more than the path through the maze, she finds a path to love.

This common storyline tries to grab your attention with a big snow maze but it’s not enough to keep your interest.  If you decide to watch this movie, DVR it so you can pause it and solve the maze when it’s on your screen.  Everything else in this movie just falls flat and is unmemorable.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars

How do you make lemons out of all of that snow – Julie

Takes one to know one – Nate

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Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery – Review

Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery – HMM – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Henry meets with Eric on behalf of Eric’s client.  Eric’s client heard the Belvedere chef’s book – not a cookbook – is going up for auction and his client wants to buy it.  The client knows Henry is a food and book expert.  He wants Henry to examine the long-lost book.  If it’s real, Henry has carte blanch to buy it at auction.  After seeing the payment, Henry agrees to go to the auction.  Just one tiny problem.  It’s the same day he promised to go to a Giants game with Maggie.  Maggie is slightly disappointed to miss the first half of the game but she agrees to go to the auction with him.  Before the auction, Leah and Elsa are upset.  The auction house sold the book before anyone could bid on it.  Henry can’t believe he won’t be able to see this book.  So Maggie jumps into action.  She goes into the main office and finds the receipt with the buyer’s name.  They go to the antique store and find the owner of the book dead on the floor with a hint of perfume in the air and the sound of the back door closing.  With the book nowhere in sight, Henry and Maggie have to solve a murder and a theft.  It will take a legacy, a windmill, and the click of a mirror to bring the killer to justice.

Pull out your pen and paper because you will need it to keep up with the suspects and their motives (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  You will gain a deeper knowledge of restaurant secrets and its dangerous past.  With each clue, the plotline gets wilder.  So keep both eyes open to everything in a scene.  Everything you see and hear is a clue to the overall plot.  What makes this installment so good is everyone involved has their side motive along with the bigger plan.  Based on the novels by Peter King, this is one to watch over and over again.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars

I am determined to make this man a Giants fan – Maggie

That is a big number – Henry

I watched enough TV to know you always toss the weapon – Elsa

When it comes to spices, go big or go home – Leah

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Murder in the Suburbs – Review

Murder in the Suburbs – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

After cancer took their father, siblings Katie and Luke head back to Whispering Pines with their mother Amy for the summer.  They settle into their Airbnb and Amy tries to reconnect with their children (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  The next morning, they wake up to a huge spread made by their Airbnb host, Megan.  Amy knew the details said breakfast made by the host but she was expecting something much smaller.  With so much food, they ask Megan to sit and eat with them.  Over breakfast, Megan tells them her family was killed last year in a hit and run accident.  Now, she is alone.  Amy’s heart breaks for her.  After her kids leave to be alone with their devices, Amy invites Megan to hang out at a yoga class.  Megan sees her old friend Gretchen and Gretchen blows her off.  Amy can’t believe Megan’s so-called friend would treat her so poorly.  The next day, Megan sees an SUV matching the one that hit her a year ago and follows it.  She is dumbfounded when it stops at her Airbnb and Katie gets out.  She believes Amy was behind the hit and run.  When the cops won’t listen, Megan decides to fix it on her own.  While Amy’s SUV was involved in the accident, she was not driving.  There are a lot of secrets in Whispering Pines and some are worth killing over.

Now, this is one to watch.  Experienced Lifetimers are taken on a wild ride with an assumed ending.  But you are wrong.  This movie takes a hard left with the plot.  The last 30 minutes involves 2 dead bodies, 1 taser, and a hack to solve a murder and rescue a life.  Now don’t get so pulled into the drama you miss the key point of this movie: family.  It’s the family tie that gets justice instead of vengeance.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

I weigh 70 pounds more than you.  So, I’m practically sober – Rick

He wouldn’t swipe right – Kate

If the feds could track me, they would be in Romania right now looking for a guy named Eddie – Luke

The way you are treating Megan is deplorable – Amy

No, I am not crazy – Megan

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Hopeless Romantic – Review

Hopeless Romantic – UPtv – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Matt’s friends are ecstatic for him.  He is ready to propose to his girlfriend Alexis. Matt is a hopeless romantic that uses romantic comedies as his blueprint for love.  He puts on a tuxedo, hires a violinist, and makes a reservation in a nice restaurant.  Alexis arrives late and pumps the brakes on his proposal.  She explains she’s not in love with him and leaves.  Matt goes to his local video store, rents several romantic videos, and walks home.  His friend Liz sees him walking home and knows his heart has been broken.  She goes to his house to help him take down the romantic set up and watches a movie with him.  For several days, Matt stays in his house, eats junk, and watches movies.  He tries to make a Say Anything grand gesture but it doesn’t work (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  Matt pulls himself together and uses his favorite romantic movies to come up with the best plan.  He notices every movie has your love interest come back after the main character finds someone else.  He will start to date and have Liz be his wing-woman.  When Alexis hears that he has found love, she will come back out of jealousy and want him again.  Then, they will have a movie ending.  Matt will get a romantic movie ending, but not the one he was planning.

So there are three sad truths to this movie.  First, people use Matt’s plan of jealousy to gain the affection of a past love interest in real life.  Second, it does actually work.  And third, this concept is in a lot of movies and it works.   However, this movie points out that common movie trope and answers it with a Hallmark movie.  While the main characters’ plot is predictable, the subplot will keep you watching.  Matt’s friend tries to use the jealousy trick and it blows up in his face.  When he stops playing games, he starts to find his true love.  This is a sweet movie to watch with popcorn and your friends.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Safety first – Matt

They make lonely people make worse about themselves – Liz

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – Adam

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Love on Iceland – Review

Love on Iceland – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes

While producing a podcast, Chloe hears a guest talking about a lifechanging trip to Iceland.  She is taken aback by the impact the trip had on this woman’s life.  Later that day, Chloe goes to lunch with her friend Isabella.  Isabella believes Chloe works too hard and needs to take a vacation, then she gets a ping on her phone with a photo.  It reminds her and Chloe of a trip they took with their friends in college years ago.  Isabella thinks this is a sign and suggests they get the gang back together to travel like they use to do in college.  While Isabella mentions Paris as an option, Chloe remembers Iceland and say its a must destination.  They decide to go.  However, Chloe only wants Isabella and Kenneth to go, not Charlie.  She and Charlie broke up on bad terms and she wants to have a stress-free trip by not having him there.  They land in Iceland and meet their tour guide, Johann.  Johann has things in store for their week-long getaway.  Chloe is surprised because she created the itinerary for the group.  Isabella, Kenneth, and Kenneth’s wife Erin explain they hired Johann to give her a break from planning.  Chloe smiles but hands Johann her itinerary anyway.  As the group settles in, Charlie walks through the door.  Isabelle and Chloe forgot to tell Kenneth not to invite him.  Now, the trip is awkward.   Charlie and Chloe will reconnect with themselves and each other.  But will home and work get in the way of their budding romance?

This is a stunning movie to watch as you see the landscape, diamond beaches, and ice caves.  You will be inspired to make a trip to Iceland to see the life, love, and food it has to offer.  The story of Chloe and Charlie is to be expected in a Hallmark movie.  However, as Chloe gains the confidence to apply for a podcast hosting job, she looks into the love stories of others.  Hearing these stories will make you laugh and touch a special place in your heart.  While you hear how these love stories evolved, you will see a subplot love story develop in front of your eyes.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

No, not at all – Chloe

I like that I can go where ever my camera can take me – Charlie

Sweetie, we’re winning.  Take the points – Kenneth

Not Icelandic horses, Kenneth – Erin

That looks great on you – Isabella

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Abducted on Air – Review

Abducted on Air – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Gavin can’t find one of his reporters named Sasha.  Later, they find a video of her practicing an introduction for her next piece.  Midway through, a masked person comes up behind her and kidnaps her.  Instead of reporting the news, Sasha is the news and anchorwoman Diane is giving up-to-the-minute information.  As the days follow, Diane interviews Sasha’s old professor Aiden and Sasha’s editor Alex.  She still has no idea where Sasha could be located.  As Diane sits at her desk, she overhears Sasha was found on the side of the road alive, blindfolded, and cuffed.  Sasha calls Gavin immediately and they arrive with a camera crew.  Sasha’s survival a trending hashtag and headline news.  As Diane starts to question Sasha, she notices some things don’t add up.  But she needs to tread lightly or she could be killed.

In these types of movies, the viewer is kept in the dark until the very end.  This one doesn’t.  You know who is the mastermind and the underlings the entire movie.  It’s how everything unravels that will keep you tuned in.  As characters are exposed, you will learn there are no good guys in this movie.  Everyone is awful in their own way.  From payoffs, power grabs with sex, and twisted senses of morality, every character is written with a flaw that makes them a suspect of kidnapping and vulnerable to becoming prey.  Sit back and enjoy this film.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

You know, I’m your number one fan – Alex

She made me more nervous than a detective did – Aiden

Then, it’s time – Sasha

She called us because she’s a reporter first – Gavin

You have to be a celebrity to have a celebrity stalker – Diane

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