Nick and Haley Downes are expecting their first baby when Nick's father Gavin suddenly and unexpectedly dies. The males in the Downes family see themselves as a dynasty, and now the bulk of the estate will pass to Nick. But the return of Nick's step-sister Zara Downs portends trouble, especially since the woman claiming to be Zara has just killed a fellow actress in Las Vegas.
There was a tawdry element to "Psycho Sister-in-Law" (a.k.a., "Sinister Sister") as the revelation emerges that "Zara" is in fact a woman named Ronnie. The real Zara (or Amelia) was clearly a better actress than Ronnie, and Zara was murdered out of jealous rage. With the death of Gavin Downes, Ronnie now hustles her way from Las Vegas to L. A. to claim Zara's legacy and also a share in Haley's baby!
The sordid details are apparent in the actions of the imposter, as Ronnie becomes more and more desperate and dangerous. She murders the kind gay attorney Turner, hoping to get closer to becoming executor of the Downes estate. Then, she has to deal with her sleazy boyfriend Reid, who shows up unexpectedly at the Downes mansion. When Reid tries to blackmail Ronnie, she applies the garrote to his neck, and Reid makes his exit from the screenplay.
One of the most interesting characters in the film was Callie Hayes, who was Gavin's fiancée. Callie was only left a cash bequest in Gavin's will, and at the beginning, she had a clear motivation to commit mischief. But there was an arc of development in Callie's character in which she kicked the booze and became a kind and loyal supporter of Nick and Haley. For her efforts, Callie pays the ultimate price at the hands of the deranged Ronnie.
While the performances were workmanlike and there was interesting location filming on the grounds of the posh Downes estate, the dramatic tension seemed uneven as the only question that persisted was why Haley was so slow in recognizing the phony and malevolent acts of Ronnie.
The climactic scene seemed especially clumsy in both the choreography and the dialogue. Inexplicably, Ronnie "excused" Haley's besties, Roz and Lydia, as the baby shower was in progress. The two besties stand up and awkwardly exit from the scene.
There was never any doubt that the Downes legacy would remain intact. The only question was when the sinister stepsister would finally be unmasked by the naive and slow-thinking husband and wife.
There was a tawdry element to "Psycho Sister-in-Law" (a.k.a., "Sinister Sister") as the revelation emerges that "Zara" is in fact a woman named Ronnie. The real Zara (or Amelia) was clearly a better actress than Ronnie, and Zara was murdered out of jealous rage. With the death of Gavin Downes, Ronnie now hustles her way from Las Vegas to L. A. to claim Zara's legacy and also a share in Haley's baby!
The sordid details are apparent in the actions of the imposter, as Ronnie becomes more and more desperate and dangerous. She murders the kind gay attorney Turner, hoping to get closer to becoming executor of the Downes estate. Then, she has to deal with her sleazy boyfriend Reid, who shows up unexpectedly at the Downes mansion. When Reid tries to blackmail Ronnie, she applies the garrote to his neck, and Reid makes his exit from the screenplay.
One of the most interesting characters in the film was Callie Hayes, who was Gavin's fiancée. Callie was only left a cash bequest in Gavin's will, and at the beginning, she had a clear motivation to commit mischief. But there was an arc of development in Callie's character in which she kicked the booze and became a kind and loyal supporter of Nick and Haley. For her efforts, Callie pays the ultimate price at the hands of the deranged Ronnie.
While the performances were workmanlike and there was interesting location filming on the grounds of the posh Downes estate, the dramatic tension seemed uneven as the only question that persisted was why Haley was so slow in recognizing the phony and malevolent acts of Ronnie.
The climactic scene seemed especially clumsy in both the choreography and the dialogue. Inexplicably, Ronnie "excused" Haley's besties, Roz and Lydia, as the baby shower was in progress. The two besties stand up and awkwardly exit from the scene.
There was never any doubt that the Downes legacy would remain intact. The only question was when the sinister stepsister would finally be unmasked by the naive and slow-thinking husband and wife.