Secrets in Suburbia (TV Movie 2017)
4.6 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 1:50
*WARNING: ANIMAL DEATH AS PLOT DEVICE, TWO SUICIDES SHOWN IN GRAPHIC DETAIL (SEE CLOSING NOTES)
BASIC PLOT:
Gloria (
Brianna Brown) is not a woman to be trifled with, as her husband Phil (
Joe Williamson), and her three "best friends", Scarlet, Monica and Kim, will soon come to understand. Kim (
Linn Bjornland) and Scarlet (
Tara Conner) have both been sleeping with Phil, and Monica (
Onira Tares) has been conspiring with him to steal Gloria's money. But you know what they say ....hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
WHAT WORKS:
*GORGEOUS, QUALITY FILM MAKING It's a beautifully shot movie by
Damián Romay (director) and
Juan Hernández (cinematographer). You just don't see these kind of quality visuals anymore, and it's a pleasure to watch.
*THE FORESHADOWING IS J-U-S-T RIGHT The foreshadowing about who Phil (
Joe Williamson) is having the affair with is NOT telegraphed, which is a welcome change from most made-for-tv movies.
*GOOD TRAILER, GOOD COVER ART
WHAT DOESN'T WORK:
*NARCISSISTIC SOCIOPATHS DON'T KILL THEMSELVES If the intimation is, Scarlet (
Tara Conner) kills herself because her oxys are gone, give me a break! People with that kind of money would call up a concierge doctor, and get well. Or they'd check themselves into the finest private rehab money can buy, but they DON'T KILL THEMSELVES!
*IT'S A BIT SLOW The pacing is a little bit off, it feels a little slow at times.
*HURTING/KILLING ANIMALS SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS A PLOT DEVICE - full stop. A dog is killed as a plot device, be warned.
*MOST WOMEN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS WHEN THEIR HUSBAND TURNS DOWN SEX It means an affair, and women know it. Gloria (
Brianna Brown) would know it too.
*ANTIFREEZE POISONING SHOWS UP IN AN AUTOPSY Ethylene glycol causes acidosis, optic nerve damage, nervous system depression, damage to the kidneys, resulting in stones and crystals, and finally shutting down renal activity altogether. Anyone young, without an obvious cause of death, would have an autopsy. The coroner would find the above markers, which would lead to chemical testing. In other words, YOU WOULD GET CAUGHT!
*WHY DOES PHIL NEED TO KILL GLORIA IF HE'S FOUND A WAY TO EMBEZZLE HER MONEY? If Phil (
Joe Williamson) and Monica (
Onira Tares) have found a way to embezzle Gloria's money, why do they need to kill her? Also, it's a bit problematic they don't resolve Gloria getting her money back.
*NEITHER PHIL, NOR MONICA HAVE ACCESS TO GLORIA'S ACCOUNTS and that means, they wouldn't be able to embezzle, especially ten million. Banks keep track of large transactions, and they would have alerted Gloria to suspicious activity.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
*This is a fairly decent made-for-tv movie. It is beautifully shot, with lots of great visuals. The pacing is a bit slow, and there are quite a few plot holes, but overall, it's a decent time waster.
CLOSING NOTES:
*I don't believe in trigger warnings, but as someone who has had many suicides in my life, I think it is appropriate to warn others, if they are depicted in movies or TV shows. Some visuals can set you off, and this movie has two graphic suicides, and an unneeded animal death (as a plot device). The animal death is unnecessary, and should have been eliminated. If these things are a trigger for you, please skip this movie. And as always, if you need help: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.
*This is a made-for-tv movie, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.
*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in ANY way by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews, and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.
