Blackwater Lane

When will I learn? Just seeing the words Grindstone Entertainment on screen tells you. That you're in for B movie at best. In this case, it's more like a C- movie. Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace, and Dermot Mulroney are wasted in what amounts to a really slow and lame ripoff of Gaslight and countless other psychological thrillers. Giant old creepy house? Check. History of mental illness? Check. Lots of easy to see through red herrings? CHECK! If not for the recognizable names in the cast, this could be a Lifetime Movie Network original, and that's using the word "original" very loosely. Nothing to see here.

This movie plot might have been good if it had been crafted better. It had a lot of good elements, but the pieces just did not fit together in a plausible way and convincing manner.

Many inconsistencies and some stupid liberties were taken during the making of this movie.

Minka Kelly is an absolutely gorgeous woman, but her role was severely flawed. However, I quite enjoyed watching her, even though the realism was badly impaired.

Even worse than the spooky nonsense was the lame love plot. Also, there was a murder for no particularly good reason.

In general, the character motivations were very poorly played.

The script was bad, the direction was substandard, and the dialog was unconvincing.

Other than that, the production quality was reasonably good.

Blackwater Lane attempts to deliver a suspenseful mystery, centering around a woman who, on her way back to the grand mansion she shares with her husband, witnesses what appears to be a murder. As unsettling events begin to escalate, she grows convinced that she could be the killer's next target. Yet the film keeps the audience questioning the reality of her fears. Her frequent panic attacks, coupled with her husband's repeated denials of what she claims to see, create an atmosphere of uncertainty-though his dismissive behavior itself feels suspicious.

The film introduces several other characters who act irrationally or suspiciously, setting up a classic whodunit. Unfortunately, the story feels too familiar, with a plot we've seen countless times. Its execution lacks the polish needed to elevate the genre, weighed down by logical inconsistencies and flaws that weaken the narrative. Some of the acting also misses the mark, adding to the film's shortcomings.

Ultimately, there's little in Blackwater Lane to make it memorable. It settles into being a below-average mystery thriller with only mild horror elements. [4.7/10]

Combining a Lifetime-esque "weak scared woman in jeopardy" with the "is it supernatural, psychological, or a plot" genre, this is a poorly written, poorly acted, and overly long example of this sub-genre. A woman who-- of course -- has a previous psychiatric admission becomes a quivering mass of jelly and acts in very stupid ways, despite the fact the character is or should be a bright person. But oooh is she having a breakdown? Is there a ghost? Is there someone messing with her? A plot so transparent that if you've seen one of these, you've seen them all. If you have experience with these types of stories, you'll see the ending coming from about 20 minutes in. Painful to watch and a disappointingly obvious ending unless you are just one of those who like this sub-genre.

I'll start by saying I am not a fan of ridiculous Hallmark movies that are silly because they are so unrealistic and the dialogue and acting are reminiscent of day time soaps. The gazes off in the distance, the awkward almost kisses and a LOT of whisper talking.

There's a lot of that in this movie. The main character is written like the typical helpless Hallmark woman. Who is so hurt and weak but also strong and smart but you don't really know that until the end. Is that suppose to be comforting? No, don't worry, she's not as annoying as you think!

I have to say though that the story of is she actually experiencing a mental health crisis or is it ghosts or something else is very compelling and the only reason I watched it until the end. And just like a soap opera, you've got the main character narrating what happened at the end just in case you didn't understand what you just saw. Ugh.

This is a prime example of why women need to be written better in Hollywood. Thank you Geena Davis for doing all you are. We deserve better.