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The Daughter She Left Behind – Review
The Daughter She Left Behind – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Rachel discovers that someone has been sending creepy messages to her daughter, Samantha. Their relationship is strained. However, Rachel will do anything to protect her child. She sends Samantha cupcakes and a heartfelt message. Samantha gives the dessert to her roommate and best friend, Casey, and ignores Rachel’s pleas. Casey and their friend, Thomas, convince Samantha to see Rachel. She agrees but keeps her distance. Rachel informs Samantha that she has moved into a rental near Samantha’s school. And she will be at the same café every Tuesday to talk. Samantha leaves with little to say.
Samantha, Casey, and Thomas attend a party to blow off some steam. Classmate Daniel strikes up a conversation with her. Later, they see each other in the bathroom line and have a few laughs. Thomas remembers he left something in the bathroom and gives Samantha his cup. He returns with the item and grabs his cup. Samantha checks her makeup in the bathroom but feels dizzy. Daniel grabs Samantha to assist her and walks her out of the house. Thomas sees them and pulls Samantha away. Daniel flees the scene.
Casey and Thomas take Samantha to the hospital. She was the victim of fentanyl poisoning. Rachel rushes to her bedside and begs Samantha to stay with her. Samantha refuses. Later, her friends take Samantha to the dorm room and let her rest while they take classes. Daniel slips a note and a rook into her bedroom window, snaps a photo, and sends it to her with a veiled threat. Samantha calls her mother for help.
Rachel invites Casey, Thomas, and Samantha to stay with her. She speaks with them and discovers that Casey ran into Daniel first. He used polite conversation to pull information from her. Rachel asks her associate, Bear, to help her investigate. He believes Samantha fell prey to a proximity play. And the rook was a calling card meant for Rachel. Rachel must use her skills to help train and save Samantha. She left her daughter before and vows not to do it again. Can she find the elusive Daniel before he kills Samantha?
This suspense film relied heavily on the mother-daughter bonding story at the detriment of the suspense. The opening hook is the strange messages someone is leaving for Samantha. It gives Rachel a sense of urgency because her dangerous job makes her hyper-aware. However, the bonding story slows down the pace too much and dominates the storyline. There aren’t any plot holes or twists to keep your interest. Now, this film makes up for this with the cinematography. The gray overcast and shadow figures allow you to feel the danger. And the backing track raises your heart rate. The final fight feels rushed because the film focuses more on character building than uncovering the stalker. The actors did an amazing job portraying fear, bravery, and camaraderie. It makes the story believable where the script fails.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
I won’t overreact – Rachel
Am I in danger?– Samantha
I hope he’s hot – Casey
I’m pretty sure we’re better friends – Thomas
Tough crowd – Bear
Where is she? – Daniel
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A Murder Between Friends – Review
A Murder Between Friends – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes
College sweethearts Josh and Kat welcome their friends Devin and Louisa to stay at a countryside castle, owned by the famous Francesca Carlyle. Devin’s wife, Sonya, accompanies him, while Louise came with her new fiancé, Sydney. The friends laugh around the dinner table. Kat reveals that Josh dated Louisa in the past, but Louisa assures Sydney that their romance is long over. After a few more drinks and some dancing, everyone goes to bed.
Josh’s phone awakens Kat. When she questions him, he says it’s spam callers. Then, he tells Kat he’s leaving the room because his indigestion is plaguing his sleep. Josh stands at the top of the staircase and hears a commotion below. It’s Devin and Sydney kissing. He can’t believe it. He snaps a picture with his phone and hides when Devin and Sydney hear the flash.
Sonya makes breakfast for everyone in the morning because the chef, Chauncey, hasn’t arrived. They look around for Sydney and Louisa to take a morning hike, but they are missing. Later, Sydney stumbles into the room with blood on his shirt. He believes he stumbled in his drunkiness and hit his head before passing out in the wine cellar. However, he hasn’t seen Louisa. As night falls, the group still hasn’t found Louisa. So, Sydney pings her phone’s location. They locate Louisa’s phone near the hot tub and assume she’s somewhere near the home. They choose to get in the hot tub instead of panicking. They lift the lid, and Sonya screams. Louisa’s dead body floats to the top. The coroner takes the body away, while the police gather their passports. Josh and Kat run into Francesca on the property. She’s famous for investigating cases on her TV show. They ask her to uncover Louisa’s killer. She agrees to start in the morning. Then, she warns them to lock their doors because their’s a murderer among these friends.
This mystery opens like a reality show. It introduces a cast of characters and the host. However, the next title card says six months earlier. So you can’t miss the start. The friends seem nice, but soon they reveal secrets and underlying tension. It grabs your attention and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The plot leaves nuggets of clues for you to follow. However, everyone is lying. So the viewer has no idea who or what to believe. Now, this film was made for LMN. It gives gossip and scandal with every clue. You won’t leave your seat or get bored. The killer’s motive and actions are clear, but that’s not where the story ends. A puppet master is pulling the strings. There are too many twists to count, and each one is juicier than the last. You will beg for a part two.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars
This tequila’s not going to drink itself – Josh
It was no big deal – Louisa
You’re being ridiculous – Kat
Sisters have tiffs sometimes – Sonia
That is definitely my cue to say good night – Devin
What do you mean, ‘where’s Louisa?’ – Sydney
Breakfast is included but no selfies – Francesca
Who said I was hiding? – Chauncey
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Three Housewives and a Body – Review
Three Housewives and a Body – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Lorelai puts cookies in a container before visiting her friends, Jackie and Ella. Lorelai’s husband, Parker, asks if she will tell her friends that she had a miscarriage. Lorelai doesn’t think now is the proper time because their relationship has been strained since Ella had a baby. Parker believes that Lorelai is underestimating her friends but doesn’t push back. Lorelai arrives at Jackie’s home, and the women prepare the food. Ella’s husband, Dean, picks up Jackie’s daughter, Maddy, so she can spend time with his daughter Cindy, giving the women some time alone.
The three women eat, drink, and nitpick. Jackie makes an excuse to leave the patio and walks into the kitchen. Grant sneaks up behind her, grabs Jackie’s throat, and demands to see his daughter, Maddy. Jackie swears she doesn’t know Maddy’s location. Lorelai hits him with an iron skillet, Ella stabs him in the side, and Jackie hits him with a cutting board. Grant stumbles away, and Lorelai smashes Grant with the cutting board again. The women ponder what to do now that Grant is dead. Lorelai says it’s self-defense and wants to call the police. But Jackie says no. Jackie reveals that Grant is Maddy’s father. He was abusive, and someone could be working with him. She and Ella convince Lorelai that burying the body is a better choice.
As they bury the body, Lorelai asks Jackie questions that she refuses to answer. Jackie believes Lorelai and Ella will be safer if they have less knowledge of her past. Ella understands and tells Lorelai to leave it alone. When Grant’s body rings, Lorelai opens the plastic casing covering his body and pulls out his phone and keys. Jackie grabs the phone, throws it on the ground, and smashes it with a shovel. The women bury Grant and vow to tell no one. However, Lorelai was lying. She pocketed Grant’s phone and will use it to uncover Jackie’s secrets. She won’t stop until she knows the truth about Jackie, Grant, and their past.
All three women are horrible people and friends. This suspense film has a great setup with horrible character arcs. Viewers will want all three leads to get a well-deserved ending after being hateful and stupid to each other. The film hooks you before the first commercial break. You understand the underlying tension among the friends before Grant enters Jackie’s home. The script adds more to the story when Lorelai, against her friends’ wishes, gets the police involved. Now the two storylines race against the clock. The pacing has zero lulls, and every moment is significant. Each character has a purpose to drive the story forward. The film has a twist that ties back to the opening scene. So viewers should disregard the first three minutes. While the sound editing is incredible for a Lifetime film, the characters are still horrible. The audience won’t desire for them to live happily ever after. This movie has a well-written plot with terrible people.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
That’s the thing about being old friends: you start to take each other for granted – Lorelai
It really is a perfect fit – Jackie
You wouldn’t have know about the job without me – Ella
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Absolutely Devoted to You – Review
Absolutely Devoted to You – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Segment producer Kaitlin discusses the future with her associate Sarah. Kaitlin wants to become an executive producer of the Merrie and Mason morning show but can’t find a way to broach the subject. Kaitlin thinks creating the perfect segment for the End of Summer Beach Bash episode will put her in the running. Then, Kaitlin and Sarah overhear Merrie panicking on a phone call. Their rival show stole their main attraction for the Beach Bash. Merrie contacts the producers for a replacement but openly dislikes their ideas. It was the same idea Kaitlin was going to pitch. Then, Kaitlin hears Merrie’s ringtone. It’s from Merrie’s favorite 90s boy band, Absolutely Yeah. They had one hit and disappeared. Since then, no one has been able to create a reunion with all four members. Kaitlin gets an idea. She pitches having a reunion during the Beach Bash. Merrie sparkles at the thought. She’s always had a crush on the lead singer, Derrick. It will attract advertisers and make their morning show number one in the ratings. Merrie promises Kaitlin the promotion if she can pull off the reunion of a lifetime. But Merrie warns Kaitlin that if she fails, the station will hire someone else. And that person will have a new staff. She and everyone else on the set will be out of a job. Kaitlin has three weeks to find the band members and get them to agree to do the show.
Derrick cringes as they play his hit single on the news. He wants to leave that life behind him. The director, Lucille, alerts Derrick that they haven’t sold enough tickets to the Community Center’s Summer Variety Show. The proceeds will fund next year’s programs. Derrick works with his students, Spencer, Jordan, Evan, and Marco, to pass out more fliers. Days later, Kaitlin arrives at the center and pleads with Derrick to join his former bandmates, Juan Carlo, TJ, and Chip. He says no. Kaitlin hears about their funding woes and comes up with an idea. She will promote the variety show if Derrick joins the reunion show. He promises to think about it. Can Kaitlin convince Derrick while falling in love with him, or will she lose her job?
The chemistry between the leads jumps off the screen. The director slowed down the world for Kaitlin, but Derrick maintains his distance. It allows him to build his trust in her during their partnership. Kaitlin talks to his friends to learn about him. She gains a deeper connection beyond his boy-band persona. She slowly uncovers a man in pain rather than a temperamental pop star. The movie’s pace slows in the middle as Kaitlin bounces between the news station and the community center. Viewers know how the story will end, so they depend on the journey to entertain them. The script could have been funnier, built the other younger actors, or added more subplots. The resolution is predictable but watchable as everyone celebrates together.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
It’s time to sink or swim – Kaitlin
That’s a cute necklace – Merrie
I don’t think he can save you – Sarah
3 out of 4 is still a reunion, right? – Juan Carlos
I’m not going there – Derrick
I’m in – Chip
As long as she promises to be gentle with me – TJ
Letting go helps me sleep at night – Lucille
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Categories: 25th Birthday, A Murder Between Friends, Absolutely Devoted to You, Carissa Marquez, Christie Osterhus, hallmark, Hana Vagnerová, India Thain, Jacob Young, Jesse Metcalfe, Joan Collins, Kate del Castillo, Kimberley Sustad, lifetime, Made for TV, movie, Nadia Bjorlin, Rachel Hendrix, review, Segen Gebremariam, Simon Cotton, Sizzling Summer Nights, Tanner Gillman, The Daughter She Left Behind, Three Housewives and a Body, Toby-Alexander Smith, tv review
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