She Stole My Son’s Heart – Review

She Stole My Son’s Heart – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Maria auditions for a role, and it goes well until she learns she will have to wear a bikini. Maria’s fine with her body, but she has a heart transplant scar. Later, she and her boyfriend, Noah, meet with her doctor. Her body is rejecting her heart, and she is next in line for a new one. Until then, her doctor will give her medication to slow down the rejection. The doctor ensures they both have Maria’s pacemaker app on their phones so they can monitor her health.

Maria goes to work at the restaurant and closes out for the day. She puts her bobby pins in her pocket and texts Noah that she is on her way home. Maria feels someone following her, so she walks in another direction. She sees a white van and runs. The driver jumps out and grabs her. Maria fights the kidnapper, but her heart beats out of control, and she falls to the ground. She grabs her phone and records a voice message. Maria passes out before she can send it. The culprit grabs the phone and deletes the message. Maria wakes up in a room with wood panelling. She’s chained to the floor, and the kidnapper wants to talk. They are only interested in one thing: Maria’s heart.

Detective Vicky welcomes the recruit, Detective Chloe, to the Seattle police department. Their captain gives Chloe her first case and asks Vicky to guide her. Noah reported his girlfriend missing. Vicky warns Chloe that the reporter is often the culprit. While interviewing Noah, Chloe notices the engagement ring on the table. Noah admits that Maria turned him down, but they were still together. He confesses that Maria was a foster child with only an estranged sister. Chloe confirms Noah’s alibi and continues to investigate other avenues. She thinks she’s doing well until the captain gives her case to Vicky. However, Chloe won’t give up. Can she unmask Maria’s kidnapper before Maria’s heart gives out?

This suspense isn’t linear because it repeatedly flashes back to the donor’s life. The plot allows viewers to know who the culprit is in the first 20 minutes. However, it’s the motive that will make your stomach churn. So the plot relies on Chloe’s detective work and Maria’s escape attempts for the film’s pacing. Each commercial break unveils something new about Maria while she finds another means of escape. It slows down when Maria’s sister returns to town. As she and Noah speak, it adds little to the storyline because viewers want to watch the unhinged kidnapper speak. The film has a few twists as Maria reads about her donor through his writings. And his end will shock you. The director uses atypical choices for Maria’s captivity scenes. Her basement shots are wide and open, but her bedroom shots are closed in. It gives you an idea of what her donor went through. The actors did a superb job conveying fear, urgency, and calm insanity. This film is a slow burn, but it’s worth your time.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

The food truck is my love language – Maria

Well, you can stop treating me like I did something wrong – Noah

Maybe the big city’s not for me – Chloe

Yes, because the world is cruel – Vicky

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The Secret Lives of Suburban Housewives – Review

The Secret Lives of Suburban Housewives – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Fiona and Adam are leaving city life behind for suburbia. She hopes that the change will increase her fertility. Fiona will work from home, while Adam looks for a property to start his firm. After Fiona and Adam get settled into their home, Fiona’s cousin, Victor, invites them to meet their neighbors. Victor’s wife, Bailey, introduces them to everyone, including Iris and her husband, Charles, and Gigi and her husband, Thomas. They ask about Noël, but Bailey didn’t invite her. She has fallen out of favor with the wives after her messy divorce. Then, Gigi, Iris, and Bailey give Fiona a turtle-shaped hide-a-key for her home (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).

Days later, Fiona gets startling news that Bailey died after falling down the stairs. She and Adam run to console Victor. The police believe it was an accident. However, Victor fears it was something much worse. Bailey had luggage filled with lingerie and was wearing a sexy outfit. He fears she was leaving him for someone else. Victor uses his connections at the medical examiner’s office and uncovers Bailey’s secret. She was pregnant. However, Victor was infertile and never told Bailey. She stated she never wanted children while they were dating, so he never told her he couldn’t have them. Sadly, he knows Bailey was having an affair. He convinced the medical examiner to get a DNA sample from the fetus. He wants to compare it to the men in town to unearth the father. But he has no idea how to collect samples from his so-called friends. Fiona offers to help gather the material and deliver it to him. Victor plans on destroying the person who betrayed him. Fiona’s happy to help, but neither of them know that someone murdered Bailey. And finding the truth will leave a trail of bodies. Can Fiona uncover Bailey’s mystery man before it’s too late?

This film grabs your attention from the opening scene. The script introduces us to the wild housewives on a night out, armed. You wonder what secrets these ladies are hiding from the world. Then the plot introduces you to the characters as Fiona does. You get a quick backstory and judgy commentary. Each murder gives Fiona a sense of urgency to uncover Bailey’s affair partner. The movie feels like it drags, but you should keep the faith. It will make sense when the killer does their monologue. Every pointless moment comes full circle. The film has a solid twist because it contains solid misdirection. It’s hard to focus on bad behavior when everyone is hiding something. The plot has no holes and answers any questions you have. This movie relies on the backing track and creepy scenery to amplify the suspense. The director uses shadows to convey emotions for the first kill. You see them arguing, pulling, and running before Bailey falls down the stairs. It helps hide the culprit’s identity while adding a layer of fun to the action. The actors were entertaining, but the makeup and hair should have been different among the wives. It was hard to tell them apart at times. This film provides a compelling mystery with a solid body count.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

The lady said no – Gigi

You are family, and you know that – Fiona

Honey, I’m home – Adam

We are not done with the conversation – Noel

If you came here to insult me, you can leave – Bailey

Someone’s in a lovely mood again – Claire

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The Little Girl Who Didn’t Exist – Review

The Little Girl Who Didn’t Exist – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Social worker Melanie travels with her daughter, Lydia, to visit Melanie’s father, Aaron. However, this visit isn’t a social call. Melanie is filing for divorce and wants some distance from her estranged wife, Grace. Aaron is happy to help, although their relationship is strained. As Melanie and Aaron talk, she lets Lydia play outside. Soon, Melanie can’t hear Lydia and searches for her. Melanie finds Lydia in a rundown playhouse and brings Lydia inside. Lydia tells Melanie that she was playing with a little girl named Sara. Melanie assumes Sara is an imaginary friend, but Lydia describes her clothing. Then, she hands Melanie a necklace Sara gave her. Lydia points to Sara’s house with the tall turret. Melanie thinks it’s inappropriate to keep an expensive necklace. So she plans to return it. Lydia panics and says Sara will get in trouble for talking to her. Melanie eases Lydia’s mind before putting her to bed.

Melanie walks to Sara’s house and knocks at the door. Candace greets Melanie and pities her for Aaron’s alcoholic past. Even though Aaron’s been sober for 20 years, it still haunts Melanie. Melanie gives the necklace to Candace. However, Candace says it doesn’t belong to her. Her husband, Sheriff John, joins them on the front porch. He confirms Candace’s statement. Also, they say that they don’t have a daughter named Sara. Melanie leaves with the necklace and returns it to Lydia. Her intuition tells her that something strange is going on in Candace and John’s home. She believes they have a daughter and are abusive. She can’t sit by while someone harms a child. She will put her life in danger to discover the truth.

This suspense film offers a sense of danger and fear within the first 20 minutes. With Melanie’s background and job, the sense of urgency is palpable. Also, she keeps losing her daughter in the woods, which amplifies these feelings. The story is a slow burn as Melanie battles with John, battles her demons, and meets Colton. This film differs because Melanie isn’t needlessly falling in love. Her sole focus is saving a child. The movie does drag in the middle as Melanie deals with her family issues. Viewers only care if Sara is real or imaginary. The storyline doesn’t have plot holes and explains everything in the last 5 minutes. Also, the director relies on music to convey Melanie’s emotions. The young actress is the stand-out performer in this picture. However, the conclusion feels like a creepy cop out.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

Sarah is not imaginary. She’s real – Lydia

Lydia’s gone – Melanie

Back when kids were made of corrugated steel – Aaron

We don’t judge – Candace

You get that all off your chest then – John

Don’t deflect using humor. That’s my thing – Colton

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Toast to Italy – Review

Toast to Italy – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Jenny and Lara help their sister Clare prepare for her wedding. After a dress fitting, Jenny and Lara double-check their to-do list. They realize that they don’t have their family’s wine. Every couple who’s had that wine at their wedding is still married today. It’s labeled the Love Wine. They arrive at Jenny’s home and find a bottle. However, it’s empty. They call around and discover there is one for auction in Italy in 16 hours. With the wedding a week away, Radiologist Jenny flies to Rome for the auction.

Jenny arrives at the auction house but doesn’t know where to go. She bumps into a columnist, Arrigo, who points her in the right direction. When he hears her name, he’s stunned. Her grandfather grew the grapes that created the wine. Her family is connected to the wine’s history. Then, she discovers that he’s there for the wine too. He is writing a column about the fairy tale wine, and the article will feature a contest. The wine will be the prize. Without it, he could lose his job. Jenny warns Arrigo to stay out of her way. They compete for the wine during the auction but lose to a wine collector. The auctioneer informs them that a winery nearby may have it. Jenny and Arrigo split up.

Jenny talks to the winery’s owner, but he doesn’t have the wine. He informs Jenny that descendants of the original vineyard live in Orvieto. They could have it. Jenny runs to the train station, and Arrigo spots her. He warns her that she’s getting on the wrong train. But she doesn’t trust him. She tells him to get on the train first. He does. Later, they arrive at Orvieto, but Jenny’s translator app is not working. She asks for a truce. They will find the wine together if he helps her translate. Arrigo agrees. Will this truce end when Arrigo’s boss wants his budding romance with Jenny to be the article’s focus?

This romantic getaway film had an intriguing setup with solid chemistry between the leads. Their banter was playful, sharp, and thought-provoking. And the tension between them in their private moments will make Hallmarkies’ hearts race. The pace never slowed down because each act contained a new lead to follow. And the barrier between them is what brings them together: the wine. There is a slight misunderstanding, but that’s handled maturely with a conversation. This film didn’t use Italy as much as it could. So viewers don’t have the full Italian experience. The conclusion is charming, and it doesn’t feel cheap or unearned. It’s a toast to love, wine, and Italy.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

The dating market is on hold. I am not looking – Jenny

Their spirit is always watching for you – Clare

Italian men are dangerous, and American men are confusing. You got yourself a double whammy – Lara

As you say in America, have a nice day – Arrigo

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