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The Twisted Nanny (2019)
This movie is OSCAR the Grouch-Worthy
This is perhaps one of the silliest and nonsensical movies I have ever seen. Although Tara Erickson (Julia) and Annika Foster (Olivia) do fantastic jobs in their respective roles as a caring mother who has had to temporarily change her work hours and a nanny who wants to poison the children against their mother, it is not a great movie.
"The Twisted Nanny" lacks any credibility because certain aspects of the movie do not make sense. I enjoyed it and the two main actresses are talented, but the movie could have been better.
The movie is especially repetitive. The same things seem to happen over and over again - The mother is tired, the children act distant towards her and Julia suspects that there is something wrong with the nanny. The same information is presented over and over again. It is as if you are seeing the same scenes with slightly different dialogue.
The beginning of the movie is similar to many other Lifetime movies such as "The Sitter," "A Stranger with My Kids" and "Nanny Cam" whereby the mother arrives home to find that the nanny has cleaned in an impressive manner.
1. Unless there is some aspect of the law that I have not quite grasped, there was never anything to preclude the mother from asking the nanny to leave. At any point, Julia could have excluded Olivia from her home. She was fully entitled to not have Olivia anywhere near her children.
2. Common sense would dictate that Julia should have introduced Jessica and Blaine to Olivia before-hand. It would have been prudent for them to meet at least once before coming to work for the family. Sometimes, it is the little details which can make a significant difference and make the movie more realistic. A scene could have been included in which Julia sits down with Olivia and going over what is expected of her on a daily basis. Most people would not leave their children with a person whom they have only just met.
3. Why do Jessica and Blaine share a room? The house seems sufficiently big for each of the children to have a room of their own.
4. At one point in the movie, a woman from the agency that Olivia purports to be from visits the house. Subsequently, no one from the agency asks any questions as to the whereabouts of this woman. Even a five year old would think to question the last few places this person frequented. Peripheral characters in Lifetime movies often make an appearance and then are treated as if they never existed.
5. Julia contacts the police because she is concerned about what is going on in her home. What does she expect the police to do? If she is that suspicious, she could have installed a web cam or just inform Olivia that she never wants to see her again. Yes, I concede that this is a Lifetime movie and certain things have to happen for the plot to exist. It was, however, within the realm of possibility for Julia to ask Olivia to leave her home.
6. When Julia contacts the agency by phone, this does not seem to accomplish much. Should she not have conducted robust enquiries before she hired someone to look after her children?
7. After awhile, all of the scenes seem similar - Julia voices her concern to her work colleague, the children act distant and it is infuriating. The pacing seems repetitive at times.
8. The scene in which Blaine hurts his knee and seeks Olivia's attention as opposed to that of his own mother's was really well done in the sense that it helps the audience realise the extent of Julia's feelings of resentment towards Olivia. The scenes in which the children ignore Julia were good in the sense that they helped Julia to realise that something was wrong in the house.
Both Julia and Olivia did well in their respective roles. Olivia excelled in acting unusual when Julia was around, but when she was being questioned by the police she did not give them any cause to be concerned. The actress excelled in showcasing her duplicitous nature.
Pretty Cheaters, Deadly Lies (2020)
One of the Better Lifetime Movies
I was surprised that so many people gave this movie a rating of 5/10 or even 1/10 - perhaps I have watched so many awful Lifetime movies such as "Engaged to a Psycho," "Psycho Yoga Instructor" and "The Wrong Cheerleading Coach" that an allegedly mediocre film has excited me. "The Wrong Cheerleading Coach" has to be one of the most irritating movies I have ever watched and in comparison, this movie is absolutely amazing. I actually enjoyed "Deadly Jealousy: The Killer Cousin" as it had a different plot to most Lifetime movies and the storyline was intriguing.
The premise of the movie is that a teenage girl, Madison, becomes extremely jealous of her cousin who excels academically and is involved in many student activities. Madison has a rather complacent attitude towards school, drinks alcohol during school hours and does not exert copious amounts of effort in terms of her studies. Madison's father is extremely wealthy and Madison seems to be accustomed to getting what she wants. Madison concocts a vicious and underhanded plan to blackmail her cousin, Hanna, which places her cousin in an extremely precarious situation.
Both girls reside in single parent families and it soon becomes evident that Madison resents her cousin. The actress, Sydney Meyer, did a fantastic job of making the audience loathe her character and the despicable things that she does. Her character is vile and horrible, but the actress portrays this very well. Her character does show remorse for her actions at one point in the movie by crying after she does something horrendous to her teacher, but she is more vicious than anything else. This is one of the first few times that a nefarious Lifetime character has shown self awareness.
One of the first unrealistic aspects of the plot is that Madison wrecks a car and immediately gets another one. It is clear that Madison rarely faces consequences of her actions. Her extremely wealthy lifestyle is clearly evidenced and she has not involved herself in student activities to the extent that Hanna has.
What drives the plot is when Madison invites Hanna to her house and serves her a mocktail, which we later find out contains rohypnol. At first, Madison jokingly asks Hanna to take her college entrance exam for her and then almost immediately states that she was kidding. Hanna conveniently passes out for the whole night, which enables Madison to take photographs of her naked cousin. Madison then uses these photographs to blackmail her cousin. The characters in Lifetime movies always seem to acquire illegal drugs with ease.
As Hanna has not been home for the whole night, her mother is understandably concerned when Hanna returns home. The mother seems extremely calm despite the fact that her child has been missing for the duration of the night. Hanna states that Madison gave her some clothing, but it is evident that she entered her home without carrying anything that would resemble clothing. In many Lifetime movies, the mothers are presented as being overbearing such as in "The Boy She Met Online," in which the mother classifies her daughter as being out of control because her daughter wants to get a job and is showing that she can actually think for herself which the mother labels as being rebellious. The mother is this movie seems reasonable and she knows that something is wrong, but she cannot place her finger on it.
The mother has a close relationship with her daughter and had Hanna just told her what had happened, things could have been very different. Hanna had obviously not done anything wrong and she is an extremely smart girl.
Madison blackmails her cousin into taking a college entrance exam for her. No mention is ever made of Hanna taking such an exam, despite her academic brilliance.
Madison also convinces her father to let her attend Hanna's school. Of course, this happens amazingly quickly because in what seems like the very next day, Madison is flaunting her perfect outfit through the halls and everyone pays attention to her.
Some things were slightly too convenient and implausible, such as Madison breaking a window at her teacher's house during the day, which causes the house alarm to sound. The purpose of this was so that the teacher would be called away from his test proctoring duties. How did Madison know that the teacher had a house alarm? She was surprised when he told her that he was proctoring the exam and she did not have a lot of time to plan. It was a bit too convenient.
Madison also wanted Hanna to find a way to make her part of some honour student group. I know that this was not what it was called in the movie, but the point is that it was a group of students who were selected because of their high academic achievements. It was a bit far-fetched that Hannah could so easily access the school during the evening, not cause any alarms to sound, remain undetected and just guess the password on a first attempt. She was also able to make the relevant changes with relative ease. People would question why and how Madison became a member of this coveted group. It was really silly how easily Hannah broke into the school and accessed information. People would raise questions when they saw that Madison was part of the group when no one nominated her.
The time line of the movie is a bit unclear. Madison's plan begins to work and she receives higher grades as a result of Hannah doing all of her homework for her. The Lifetime movie conveniently does not show the administrative burden of Madison having to complete forms, select classes and make the transition into a new school.
The ending is a bit farfetched, but everyone eventually discovers what Madison has been doing.
I felt a sense of frustration when Madison began to manipulate Hanna by blocking her mother and friends from her phone. The fact that Hanna was not receiving texts should have been addressed earlier in the movie. Hanna's friend often asks her about the texts that she sends. Hanna is presented as being extremely smart. When Hanna's friend states that Hanna has not responded to texts, Hanna does not show her friend the phone as proof. When confronted, Hanna never examines her phone as a sensible person would. The characters in some Lifetime movies often engage in actions which flout common sense. It would not take a genius to examine a phone and realise that people were blocked. Madison intruded upon Hanna's life in every way and Madison's hunger for greed was insatiable.
Furthermore, the times of the cheerleading practices seemed to change quite frequently and the decision to remove her from the cheerleading squad seemed a bit too unilateral and the coach should have made more of an effort to speak to Hanna. Why did they not seem more concerned that Hanna was missing practices and acting strangely?
Furthermore, when Madison speaks to Hanna's friend during the school's lunch period, Madison "accidentally" reveals negative and insulting things that Hanna allegedly said about her friend. Why did Hanna's friend immediately believe what Madison said? What Madison stated was so bizarre that Hanna's friend should have doubted Madison's credibility. So many Lifetime movie plots pertain to seemingly intelligent people who believe a complete stranger.
Hanna's mother eventually figures out what is going on and she confronts Madison's father who at first refuses to believe that his daughter could do such horrible things.
The photos on Madison phone are what the character uses to blackmail Hanna. Hanna's studious nature and wholesome character gives her credibility. If suddenly photos were distributed of Hanna without clothes and words written on her in lipstick, this would cause people to ask questions. Her classmates would think that it was exceptionally out of character for Hanna to do anything like that. I do not think that the ages of the characters are ever mentioned, but Madison's possession of the photographs on her phone could amount to something extremely criminal and if she dispensed those photos, she it is highly likely that she would be criminally liable. The issue was never raised that if Madison did publish the photos, it would be relatively easy for it to be proven that the photographs originated from Madison's phone. I do concede that Hanna would not want anyone to see those photographs.
I enjoyed the movie because the characters were interesting and it was so much better than most Lifetime movies. It was frustrating that Madison got away with things for so long and the hold she had over Hannah.
Psycho Yoga Instructor (2020)
This movie has its merits
Despite the title of this movie, Dominic does not reveal has "psychopathic" tendencies until closer to the end of the movie. Unlike many other Lifetime movies, I was hardly at the edge of my seat, wondering in which direction the movie was going to go. At the beginning of the movie, Dominic is not overly obsessive and his actions, for the most part, are within normal parameters.
1. Husband and wife, Tom and Justine respectively, seem to engage in better dialogue when they are arguing with one another. Tom often appears to be distant and it seems as if he was doing everything in his power to avoid Justine. For example, he often makes the choice to sleep in his office and occasionally comes across as not caring. He surreptitiously swallows pills in his office as he proceeds with his day. Their dialogue in the kitchen at the beginning of the movie seems awkward and it seems as if they feel uncomfortable one another. When Tom comes home late to find that Justice has prepared dinner for him, things seem to be quite tense. The couple comes across as constantly being annoyed with one another.
2. Justine seems to communicate better with Dominic than she can with Tom. As is usual with most Lifetime movies, boundaries are quickly crossed. Dominic stands extremely too close to Justine when he comes to her house to teach her yoga. At both Justine's house and at the yoga studio, the characters stand so close to one another that it is uncomfortable. It lacks authenticity because he touches her entirely too much and Justine never questions this, especially when Dominic touches her face. It might be as a result of the fact that Justine feels neglected by Tom, but most people would feel that Dominic's actions are going a bit too far and boundaries are being crossed.
3. Justine is a middle school teacher. In many scenes in the movie, Tom states that he has to work to maintain their home and lifestyle. There is a scene in which these two characters discuss this issue in Tom's office. Justine's contemplations about becoming a yoga instructor seem to be an implausible idea. One should at least learn something properly before embarking upon that course of action.
4. There is a scene between Justine and Dominic in which Justine raises the fact that her husband "works." The way in which the point is discussed is just very odd and it is as if the concept of working is only something that a few people manage to accomplish. At times, the dialogue does not seem authentic.
5. Dominic's initial speech about a "sprig" was annoying as opposed to insightful. The subsequent references to Justine being a "sprig" just felt unnecessary.
6. When Justine finds out about a woman leaving a voice message on Tom's phone are far too contrived. The person is saved in Tom's phone as "S" when most people would choose to enter the proper name of the person or the company.
7. The couple wants to adopt a child and this seems to be a source of tension between the couple. It makes for an interesting subplot and Tom never seems to be that engaged with the idea.
The movie is entertaining, but some of the dialogue is a bit annoying.
The Wrong Cheerleader Coach (2020)
Stop playing with your glasses, please!
I did somewhat enjoy this movie because I was not expecting too much. Many aspects of the movie were beyond irritating. Certain elements of the plot made the movie implausible and nonsensical. The plot as well as the characters decisions and actions should have been re-evaluated.
1. The glasses element of the movie got to be annoying and pretty much hijacked the whole movie. The father's constant fiddling with his glasses quickly became unbearable. The amount of times he removed his glasses and put them back on was just draining. Why would anyone think that having the character do this was a good idea? I would love to know the reasoning behind this.
2. The personal trainer is killed and then it is as if he never existed. It is beyond frustrating. This element of the script is never developed, which is infuriating. Furthermore, the scenes with the psychiatrist just seem to be pointless and do little to develop the plot. When the psychiatrist is strangled, it just seems to be too silly. Most normal people would have said something or acted accordingly when they noticed that "Coach Hughes" was approaching and not just remain seated. It was very bizarre because someone would have noticed something like this and this aspect of the movie does not make sense.
3. The police stated that when they questioned Coach Hughes, she was with "a friend." The audience never learns who this "friend" is. Coach Hughes seems to live a solitary existence and this element of the plot is not explained.
5. The scene in which Hanna and her friends go for pizza is ridiculous. In the scene, the characters keep looking around nervously, but no one else is even remotely interested in the conversation. It just seems to be poorly constructed.
The movie is worth watching if you want to be mildly entertained and do not expect too much.
The best is when Vivica's character says the name of the movie.
Murder at the Mansion (2018)
Absolute Rubbish --> This Movie Was BELOW Sub-Par
I usually enjoy a good Lifetime movie. They are usually entertaining and often have a good plot.
Everything about this movie was terrible. Where do I begin? The plot was nonsense, the dialogue was terrible and the story was awful. The story was infantile, the plot wasn't very clever and the characters were not believable.
The script lacked any sort of originality and was very predictable.
There are movies that you can really get into and it reaches the point where the characters seem real and it is as if they are not acting. This is NOT one of those movies.
1. As soon as the female protagonist reveals her coconut allergy, it is clear that this is going to be used to advance the plot. When her Epipen is found in the rubbish, no one really questions it.
2. When the female protagonist goes out on the boat and mentions that she cannot swim, it is fairly evident what is going to happen. These conveniences get so boring.
3. The house is fitted with CCTV and yet, no one seems to know what is going on.
4. The chef gets murdered and everyone is quick to call it an accident and no one even mentions him again or seems to care.
5. Of course when the lead female and her friend use the sauna, they get stuck. That plot device has been used so many times. Couldn't the writer think up something slightly more unique? The stuck in the sauna scene was just so boring because the writer lacked imagination.
6. The movie just harps upon things until it gets dull. For example, the female protagonist keeps going on and on about her mother's wedding ring. The audience gets it. It is cemented into the audience's head until it becomes monotonous.
7. The acting is terrible. Just awful. It is as if one is watching a mediocre movie that some talentless film studies students put together in haste because they had been slacking all term and realised too late that there was a deadline.
8. The characters are just so one dimensional and not very interesting.
The movie was just painful to watch. It lacked depth. It lacked substance. It was not interesting at all. This was one of the worst Lifetime movies I have ever seen.
Brotherhood (2010)
When are these college students going to come to their senses?
If you enjoy clever fast-paced films which showcase characters who are not overly developed, which have an excellent script and you are allured by an uncomplicated plot line, then this is an ideal movie for you to watch.
The movie commences with a group of young men being driven around in the back a red van, most of whom look petrified. One of the characters states, "Alright like I said before I wouldn't ask you pussies to do anything I wouldn't do first." The audience is then drawn into the film, wondering who these people are and what they are doing. The audience soon learns that they are members of a fraternity as well as pledges who want to join.
Those who are being initiated appear to be robbing convenience stores. They are under the impression that real robberies are being committed. In reality, when the "robber" approaches the store, he is met by a member of the fraternity who hands him money to give the impression that the "robber" was successful. They are told to ask for the amount of $19.10, the significance of which is because this is the year upon which the frat was founded. Motivated by their desire to be included, they think that they are committing criminal acts. The plan, however, falls apart when one of the pledges actually goes through with pointing a gun at the shop assistant, Mike, and gets shot.
The movie is clever and it kept me intrigued. It also left me feeling slightly frustrating. I concede it is only a movie, but reviews enable people to engage with one another and raise questions. These people have reached an age where they are able to attend university and hopefully embark upon exciting careers. Is it really worth risking a jail sentence purely to join a fraternity? They probably worked hard to get where they are and paid a huge sum of money.
I know that it is not helpful that I do not recall all of the names of the characters, but as a viewer, most people would be inclined to take the injured male to the hospital. Matters are further complicated by the frat throwing a party and the group of boys bring the injured person to the house, kicking the partygoers out of the house.
As the movie went on, my attention was captivated because I truly wanted to know what was going to happen. Other films have a tendency to leave certain storylines undeveloped or "forget" about certain characters. This movie did not make that mistake. For example, at the end of the movie, we find out what happens to the boy that who was left locked in the car during the party scene at the frat house. Furthermore, the movie does showcase that people are often left humiliated after casual sex, such as the female character who wanted her eyeglasses returned.
I agree with some of the other reviews which state that this is not your typical "frat movie." I found that the movie was interesting because it showcased how far certain people were willing to transgress the law, even by those people who are employed to enforce it. It is highly likely that most people would conclude that the gun shot wound was not the type of injury which could be fixed with a first aid kit. The fact that they gave him painkillers they found in the house did little to satiate the wounded character's high level of pain. They clearly did the wrong thing and were just making things worse. Even though what they did was wrong, it makes for excellent entertainment and I was captivated by the intensity of some of the scenes as the actors played their roles well and were very convincing.
The movie was entertaining and it is a movie that I would be willing to watch more than once.