A Killer Upstairs

The likes of a top class actor Bruce Boxleitner could not save this movie. But even he was poorly cast as the smug, dismissive detective.

The plot concerns a mother Sandra (Tracy Nelson) who does her own detective work to prove that her 17 year old son (Christopher Jacot) did not murder a model wife Vivian Jamison (Jayne Heitmeyer) of a local businessman David Jamison (Barry Flatman).

The acting is overly dramatic at times making the poor pacing and supposedly dramatic pauses rather unbearable. It is not worth waiting for the final scene which has some great plot twists and finally some reasonable acting from Barry Flatman and Stefanie Buxton.

The decisions made about the main themes between the Director and writers seems to be where the problem lies. If they decided that the main thread was the transformation of an ordinary single mother still grieving from the death of her husband 3 years earlier into a DIY detective determined to hunt down the real killer to save her son, then they needed to find an actress who could portray the rage, fear and trauma of that process. If the main tension was to be derived from all the red herrings presented along the search for the real killer, then there was not enough evidence or interaction with the range of possible suspects to build that kind of tension.

The characters were so one dimensional that the third theme that could have been portrayed, that of police incompetence driving individuals to taking the law into their own hands, would be probably be as unconvincing as the two themes mentioned previously.

Suspense is difficult to build and to maintain a pace that keeps your viewers attentive, let alone on the edge of their seats. The tension in this movie came from the failures which ejected me from my seat.

This is made for television. Maybe the kind of entertaining low budget thriller that is being left behind, for glossier entertainments but it caught my attention and held it for the whole film, that is very unusual these days! The simplicity and clarity of the acting, and the lack of posturing, ambiguity were refreshing. We care about the characters, especially the mother, I couldn't help thinking that is believable that is wonderful what she is doing for her son, even if I thought he was guilty. The writing and directing were like clockwork, perfect as far as I am concerned. Its been a long time since I sat through a movie. The mother played by Tracey Nelson was super ( she happens to be the daughter of the late great singing star Ricky Nelson) Hey I could cynically say this is a formula made for TV but I call it good entertainment.

About a mother who tries to save her son from murder. Plot is predictable and acting poor. Even with the likes of Bruce Boxlieter. Won''t go into the plot except to say its a good pop corn movies. That means you can leave the room anytime and not miss much. I have in the past critiqued the acting of Tracey Nelson. Daughter of Rick, she obviously didn't inherit any of his talent. She has an annoying pout and high whiny voice that grates on your nerves. A mature woman who sounds like Shirly Temple. Her hair is stringy, and hanging in her face most of the time. But mainly her acting is amateurish and boring. You don't believe her for a second. Sorry.

These Lifetime movies move at such a snail's pace that you can tune in anytime and not miss much actual plot. They set up a good case for murder and then plod along to fill out a two-hour program length.

A KILLER UPSTAIRS at least has one thing to recommend it--a good final twist for the end of the mystery behind a woman's death at the hands of a spurned lover. But getting to those final fifteen minutes of exposition takes patience because the central characters are not at all likable.

Part of this has to be due to the main performance by Tracey Nelson, the mother with the staring eyes and the whining voice. It's a one-note portrayal of a mother anxious to clear her son of false charges. Christopher Jacot is the son with the haunted look in his eyes, a hurt expression summing up his reaction at being falsely accused. There's not much else he can do with a thankless role.

What's really surprising is how weak Bruce Boxleitner is as the cocky detective who never believes a word the mother says. He looks bored (true, it's another thankless role), and nothing more. Nor are any of the other participants likely to be up for Emmy nominations.

Loopholes in the script are plentiful when it comes to character motivation. And a scene at the local liquor store where the mother is pleading with a worker to tell the truth, comes across as highly unbelievable in view of the fact that neither notices the criminal listening intently to their every word.

Only one thing is sure: the final revelations do come as a surprise, but by that time will anyone care?

This Comment does contain mild spoilers!!!

"A Killer Upstairs" is a decent TV movie. The plot is: When Vivian Jamison (Jayne Heitmeyer) is murdered, all fingers point to her lover Michael Nowlin (Christopher Jacot), His mom Sandra (Tracy Nelson) is trying to prove her son is innocent, but the police won't listen. Is the killer still out there?

At first the movie is riddled with bad acting,(Barry Flatman as Mr. Jamison) but eventually the movie picks up speed and it gets better. It does have some good twists and turns. Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Nelson, and Linden Ashby put in good performances. Overall, it's worth seeing if you are looking for a satisfactory mystery.

For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com