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We’re Getting Out of Here Alive – Review
We’re Getting Out of Here Alive – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Pharmacist Dr. Aaliyah Johnson tends to her patients in line while Pharmacist Dr. Ray Kwan talks to customers in Waterson Drugstore. After Aaliyah takes Mrs. Freedman’s blood pressure, Alex asks Aaliyah out. Ray notices Jade lurking around the store. She admits that she’s looking for a pregnancy test. He points her in the right direction without judgment. Ray locks up the store so the remaining people can finish their purchases while he and Aaliyah close the drugstore. Then, Clive runs up to the door. He says he knows what he needs. So he will be quick. Ray lets Clive inside. Clive pulls out a gun, takes everyone’s cellphones, and demands access to the pharmacy safe.
Officer Jessie O’Keefe returns to work with noticeable stares. She opens her drawer to find a rubber mouse inside a mousetrap. Jessie knows everyone calls her a rat. She wants to smoke but has decided to quit. However, she doesn’t have nicotine gum. She walks to the drugstore and notices the lights are off. She’s walked this beat and the lights stay on when the store closes. She knocks on the door and Clive answers, wearing Ray’s white coat. He makes polite conversation and gives her the gum. Jessie walks to work and searches for Ray on the drugstore’s website. She sees that the men don’t match. She tells her boss, Sergeant Morales, but he ignores her because of her past. When she returns to the drugstore, someone sets off the alarm.
Sergeant Morales acts as the hostage negotiator. He demands that Jessie remain in the background. However, Clive only wants to speak to her. Morales gives Jessie the phone but demands that she follow his commands. Clive breathes a sigh of relief when Jessie greets him. He asks for two things: insulin and an admission. He wants Aaliyah to admit what she did to him. But Aaliyah doesn’t recall. Clive threatens to harm everyone if she doesn’t talk. Who will get out alive?
This thriller starts with a clock on the title card. Viewers know something scary is about to happen. The pacing is interesting because it starts with two parallel stories that converge. We discover that Aaliyah is a dedicated pharmacist who cares for her patients. And Jessie is a ‘stubborn’ cop who thinks before she acts. Both are mothers and love their children. The writers omit their work conflict until the most intense moment. It doesn’t change the viewer’s perception of them, but it does deepen your understanding. The editor used gunshots as a cliffhanger twice in this film. The first is surprising, but it sets up a false anticipation for the second. Of course, we get the false hero. He is a walking eye-roll of machismo. This story builds slowly. You learn about each hostage before Clive takes over. Afterward, it keeps a consistent tempo. The conclusion plugs any plot holes with a 2-minute conversation. It feels sweet but easy. This film is a quick rush if you can wait for the slow crawl of happy shoppers.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Stop pretending everything is okay – Aaliyah
Oh, please don’t make that concerned face – Mrs. Freedman
This is your show now – Clive
That became my decision when nobody else was doing anything – Alex
I’m the one you are speaking with right now – Morales
I made it through the hour – Jessie
Please, don’t – Ray
I really need to use the bathroom – Jade
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Who’s Coming for Christmas – Review
Who’s Coming for Christmas – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Julie answers the door to a knock from a delivery person named Daniel. He’s delivering her grandmother’s table from storage. Julie celebrated magical Christmases with her family around that table, but she didn’t want to use it until she bought a big enough home. Daniel graciously helps set up the table while Julie unpacks more of her grandmother’s keepsakes. One keepsake is a lock box, but Julie doesn’t have the key. The second is a needlepoint wall decor with her grandmother’s motto, ‘Prepare for what you want and have faith it will find you.’ This motto reflects in Julie’s optimistic attitude. Later, Julie goes to the Mission Heritage Library and sets up reading nooks for kids with her co-worker named Daniela. Daniela spends time in the corner to forget about her boyfriend, Trevor. He’s flying home, but she’s not sure if he will make it in time for the holidays. Julie hopes the nooks will encourage kids to read and create a community. She sees Ali going through the stacks. Ali has heard about Julie in her book club and knows they will get to know each other better. Julie sees a man carrying a mountain of books with his daughter. Mark introduces himself and Vanessa to the new librarian. Julie waves their fees and allows Vanessa to check out more books than allowed. She encourages Vanessa to join other kids in the nook.
Julie goes home and her neighbor, Jim, greets her. He loves having new faces in town and thinks Julie will be a great addition to their community. She warmly greets Jim and offers her help if he needs it. As Jim walks away, she sees a familiar face wrestling with decorations. It’s Mark. She invites him inside, and he admires her table. He’s been trying to create Christmas memories with Vanessa. This is their first Christmas together since his divorce. He wants to make sure every moment is memorable. Julie wants the same thing because this is her first year hosting Christmas Eve dinner at her new home. She can’t wait to spend time with her family and recreate her grandmother’s recipes, although she can’t find them. After Mark leaves, Julie gets a call from her parents. They finally won a Christmas cruise, but it leaves on December 22nd. They will miss her dinner. Julie encourages them to go and send her a postcard. Julie mentions the sad news to Mark. He looks at her family motto and gets an idea. If she wants a big Christmas dinner, she should create it, and people will come. But who will come to Christmas Eve dinner?
This Field of Dreams holiday-inspired film packs a lot of wisdom in two hours (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). Julie guides those around her, but she listens too. She has helpful hints for Mark’s time with Vanessa, but he teaches her to live by her grandmother’s motto. The plot has Julie slowly extending an olive branch to everyone, but they all have plans. Viewers can feel her understanding and disappointment. Your heart will break with each no. And Christmas isn’t just thrown into the plot. It’s the reason for community. Whether it’s at the library, storefront, or table, Christmas brings the town together. The audience can almost smell the Christmas fig cookies and Nobody’s Bundt Cake as they grace the television. The only classic trope is the meet-cute at the library between our leading characters. However, everything else in this film feels fresh. And there are no plot holes. While there are several secondary characters, the writers gave each a complex backstory and a connection to the audience. You have met the holiday worker, the loving older neighbor, and the conflicting families. And the final conflict wasn’t between the leads. It was between Julie and her expectations. This holiday film is sweet and offers something the holidays are missing: community.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Tis the season – Dennis
Hope and action make you unstoppable – Julie
If you cook it, they will come – Mark
When something good comes along, you always don’t recognize it right away – Jim
Magnificent – Vanessa
Your house, your rules – Danielle
What if she doesn’t pick up – Ali
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What If Christmas – Review
What If Christmas – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Erin gives her husband, Adam, socks with accurately depicted hearts for work. He was promoted to Chief of Cardiac Surgery. She’s sprucing up their new house for the holidays but doesn’t get to spend much time with him. She asks for a 20-second hug before she goes to the hospital to pitch charity ideas. At their last location, Erin spearheaded a committee that raised money for needy families to pay for their heart surgeries. However, this hospital has everything under control. They do offer to put Erin in charge of coats at the Christmas gala. Erin begrudgingly accepts.
Adam takes Erin for coffee, and she remembers what he ordered on their first date. However, he doesn’t recall hers. Later, Adam asked his family to come by but didn’t add Erin to the group chat. Now, relatives will bombard her with little notice. Erin begs her friend, Chef Kelly, to visit. Kelly hops the first flight to help Erin. When Kelly arrives, they go to the Christmas market. She helps Kelly find a dress. Kelly tries on dresses while Erin examines other options. She finds a dress created by her mentor, Margot Braymine. A white-bearded man asks if she knows anything about fashion. Erin admits she studied it in college and had a penchant for it, but she gave it up for something else.
After spending time with Adam’s family, Erin returns to the Christmas shop. The bearded man hands her a glowing heart ornament and asks what she wishes for. Erin states that she wonders what her life would look like if she took a different path. Erin wakes up in an unfamiliar bed. She sees magazine covers with her face on them. Zoe assumes Erin slept in because Erin is hungover. She hands Erin her coffee and waits while Erin gets dressed. Erin notices the labels with her maiden name. She is a famous fashion designer but never married Adam. Then, Erin uncovers that she and Kelly aren’t friends in this life. Erin thinks this life is incredible, but she misses Adam. She sleeps but wakes up in her dream life. If she can’t make it home, can she make Adam fall in love with her again? What if?
This adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life asks a charming question about life without offering a villain (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). The writers make Adam forgetful while explaining that he loves his wife. He appreciates what she does but doesn’t remember to include her in decisions. It puts the onus back on Erin for her choices and outcome. This holiday romantic comedy leans on Santa and magic to propel the story forward. Christmas isn’t a background character for this movie. Since Erin and Adam are married, Erin creates the clichés in her second life. And viewers shouldn’t overlook Erin recreating her friendship with Kelly. She needs both of them to feel whole. Erin grows immensely as she takes ownership of her life. The largest conflict is with herself. This film is a sweet story for any stay-at-home spouse.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
I love them, and I love you – Adam
Don’t block your path before you even get there – Erin
Is this a test? – Zoe
Girl, is it any of yours? – Kelly
May the best dressed win – Margot
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Secrets in a Small Georgia Town – Review
Secrets in a Small Georgia Town – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Sheriff John Minsley calls Halle into his office after he caught her daughter, Emma, skipping school. Halle admits Emma’s skipping is wrong, but she believes John is unnecessarily harsh. Halle chastises Emma at home and hides a locator inside a charm on her backpack (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). Later, Halle discovers Emma sneaked out, and she tracks the locator. She finds Emma being attacked by Dallas. Dallas is from a prominent family and has a history of attacking girls. Halle pulls Dallas off of Emma, and they jump in her car. Dallas grabs a tire iron and attacks her vehicle. Halle can’t drive forward because his truck blocks her. She goes backward and runs over Dallas. As they drive away, Halle calls 911.
John questions Halle and Emma about the accident. Halle informs John that Dallas has attacked underage girls in the past. He was hurting her daughter, and she’s 15. John doesn’t care. He blames Emma and Halle for the accident. He arrests Halle for felony hit-and-run. Halle calls her boss, attorney Camille. She instructs Camille to pick up Emma from the sheriff’s office before he arrests Emma. In the hallway, John intimidates Emma, and she runs to a gas station, where Camille finds her. Camille goes to jail to meet with Halle. She’s upset that Halle talked to the police without her. Halle concedes she shouldn’t have. However, Dallas’s father, Dylan, wants Halle to take a plea deal. Camille will negotiate a 3-year jail sentence, and Halle could be out in 18 months. Halle says no because it was self-defense and Dallas has a history.
Dallas’s mom, Nikki, sits by his bedside as machines breathe for him. She fears Dallas was the perpetrator again. However, Dylan tells her they are victims. He demands her obedience and leaves for the courthouse. Dylan arrives in court and harasses Emma before sitting behind his lawyer. He fears Halle won’t give up and stir up issues. He tells his lawyer to drop the charges, but the lawyer says it’s too late. As the judge speaks, Dylan gets a text message from Nikki. Dallas died. Later, Halle gets bail and a trial date, but the ongoing corruption hunts her. John is running for sheriff again, unopposed. She thinks the only way to save herself is to run for sheriff. However, it won’t be an easy fight. Dylan won’t give up control of this small Georgia town that easily. Can Halle win the election and avoid jail?
This thriller starts with a small, corrupt town. Dallas doesn’t have consequences, and Dylan loves power. The plot would feel unbelievable, except viewers know about Alex Murdaugh. This level of unscrupulous activity is possible but not irrepressible. Halle won’t back down like everyone else because she has more to lose. The writers made her strong, but the paralegal makes rookie mistakes. She breaks into establishments, involves too many people in her scheme, and talks to police without Camille. The viewer’s heart will break for Nikki. She is a victim too. This film is entertaining but focuses too much on Halle’s relationship with her ex-husband. It adds nothing to the plot and slows the pace.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
So let it be later – Emma
Posting campaign signs in a government building is illegal – Halle
Only if I say it is – John
All’s fair in love and parenting – Camille
We’re the victims here – Dylan
I have this – Nikki
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Forgotten Holiday – Review
Forgotten Holiday – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Mechanic Rob is intrigued by Kathryn, who outbid him for a projector. She paid double what he was willing to pay because it needed repairs. He gives her his business card and asks her out. Rob calls later, and they go over their schedules but can’t find time together until next year. Kathryn remembers he will bake cookies with his family for charity. So she asks to join them. Rob’s grateful because she will see him and his family at their Christmas best. After an evening baking cookies, Kathryn and Rob date for a year. He buys a home and an engagement ring. He invites Kathryn over and proposes. Kathryn runs away. Rob calls his sister, Amy, and she’s stunned. She tells Rob to come to her house so they can talk. Rob gets in his car and crashes into a tree.
The doctor updates Rob’s family about his condition. He’s doing well and should be able to leave. When Kathryn enters his room, Rob doesn’t recognize her. The family believes Rob has lost the last year of his life. Since Rob doesn’t have physical damage, the doctor believes the amnesia is psychological. He thinks they can restore his memories by recreating the past year. Then, Rob’s mother, Meryl, finds the engagement ring in Rob’s possessions. The family, except Amy, assumes they’re engaged and asks her to help. Kathryn regretfully agrees. Amy pulls Kathryn aside and says she knows the truth. However, she will keep Kathryn’s secret to help Rob regain his memories. Kathryn brings Rob home, redos their first date, and starts falling in love with him again. As memories flood back, Kathryn knows he will remember her rejecting him. Can she tell him the truth behind her rejection or risk losing him again?
This holiday romance starts with a woman searching for a stable family. The writers gave Kathryn a loving father who avoids emotions, and Rob is her polar opposite. The camera captures the glow in Kathryn’s eyes when she meets his family for the first time. This moment made Christmas the story’s main character. Kathryn recreates Rob’s Christmas zeal with markets, food, and family. Viewers see them fall in love for the first time because of the time lapse. This unique element paid off in the storytelling. Kathryn’s character grows substantially because Rob has a loving, nurturing, and forgiving family. Meryl opens her heart to forgiveness, but it’s shocking. This movie has Christmas charm. However, there is a slight lull in the middle.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
Wow, it’s so perfect – Kathryn
A lady who knows what she wants and gets it – Rob
It’s a yes or no question – Amy
Does it fit – Meryl
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Categories: Alyssa Ayala, Chad Darnell, Countdown to Christmas, Daniel Lissing, Erica Anderson, Forgotten Holiday, hallmark, Jake Foy, Janel Parrish, Javier Montenegro, Kenjah, L.A. Sweeney, lifetime, Lori Loughlin, Made for TV, Mila Morgan, movie, review, Rhiannon Fish, Secrets in a Small Georgia Town, Sergio Di Zio, Tom Cavanagh, tv review, We're Getting Out of Here Alive, What If Christmas, Who's Coming for Christmas
