The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story - Review
A student liaison walks a new student, 14-year-old Tanya Kach, around the school. The liaison tells Tanya to watch out for the mean girls and the strict, creepy security guard, 38-year-old Tom Hose. Tanya runs into Tom before class, and they trade hellos. Later, Tanya asks the liaison to stay with her for the week. But she says no because they aren't friends. Tanya sits on the bleachers and smokes with another boy. Tom catches them and gives the boy detention but sits Tanya down to talk. Tanya doesn't want to go to her foster home because someone asked her to touch him. She reported it to the CPS worker, but no one believed her. She wants to move back with her mother, Christine but doesn't know how to get there.
Later, Tom finds Tanya at the bleachers and offers her money, directions, and instructions to Christine's home. The price for everything is a kiss. She kisses him and gets the necessities. Tanya follows his instructions and walks to Christine's doorstep. Christine's new boyfriend answers the door and calls for her. She tells Tanya to leave and return to her foster parents because they will both get in trouble with Child Services if she lets Tanya in the house. Feeling dejected and rejected, Tanya notices an address at the bottom of the instructions. She walks to it and discovers it's Tom's parents' home. He pulls her inside and drags her upstairs. He tells her to keep quiet because his parents will hear her.
Tanya wonders if Tom will let her attend school. However, he wants her to go to the home of his friend, Judy, and learn. She tells Judy about her 'relationship' with Tom, and Judy tells her to call her mother again and explain it in detail. But Christine never answers the phone. It reiterates that no one cares about her. Tanya returns to Judy's and meets with Tom. Tom offers her beer and assaults her. He walks to his parents' home and heads to his bedroom. Tom gives her the key and tells her to only open the door for him. He wants to keep her safe so Child Services won't return Tanya to her abusive foster parents. He promises it will be for a little while. That 'little while' will equate to a decade of abuse, sexual assault, manipulation, and control.
Based on Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid by Tanya Kach and Lawrence Fisher, this movie shows how grooming works (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). According to Tanya, Tom studied her student file before she started school. He knew she came from a turbulent home life and was desperate for love. He gave her time, special privileges, and small gifts and ensured she kept it a secret. When she enters his home, she assumes it's a safe haven. She doesn't see the evil in Tom until she wants to leave several months later. He makes her record his abuse, belittles her intelligence, and trains her like a dog. He had help along the way, which makes it worse. It's easy to watch and scrutinize Tanya's actions, but she was a 14-year-old girl trying to survive a monster. He controlled her food, threatened her mom, and cemented her fears with the murder of other girls. Her story is a teachable moment for everyone to watch out for this behavior and have compassion for the survivors.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars
You know the rules - Tom
I just wanted someone to care - Tanya
You know you can't be here - Christine
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Tipline Mysteries: Dial 1 for Murder - Review
Hotel concierge Maddie handles clients while listening to her police scanner app. She quietly cheers as her favorite cop, badge 219, takes down another suspect. And it's rumored that 219 will get a promotion to detective. After a full day of work, Maddie enters the Detroit Free Press and sits at the crime tip desk with her fellow tipster, Penny. Maddie calls Detective Grazier about a stolen cat ring, but he pretends to care. She hangs up and investigates the crime from her desk.
Captain Nyland calls Officer Beeks into her office and takes his badge. She informs Beeks that he passed the detective's exam with the best score in the precinct. He will start his new job as Detective Beeks in a week and take over for Detective Grazier. He gleams with pride and trips over his words as he thanks Nyland.
One week later, Maddie gets a tip: someone will rob a jewelry store tonight. She asks the caller for more information, but they hang up. Maddie calls Detective Grazier's number, but he doesn't pick up. So she rushes to the police station and finds Detective Beeks at Grazier's desk. She tells Beeks about the tip and asks him to put a patrol car outside every jewelry store. He tells her that's impossible and shoots down any other options.
Beeks gets a call in the morning. Someone shot Joseph Trimani in the neck with a dart gun before robbing his jewelry store. Sadly, Joseph died during the robbery. Maddie runs to Trimani's Jewelry after hearing it on her scanner app. Beeks interviews Joseph's estranged wife, Marcella. She states that the impending divorce was amicable. And Marcella wasn't the beneficiary of his life insurance. She gives Beeks information about the safe company, and when he arrives, Maddie is there talking to the owner, Luke.
Beeks gently nudges Maddie out of the store before questioning Luke. Luke's company supplied the safe, but he didn't install it. His former son-in-law, Nick, did the installation. Luke gives Beeks Nick's most recent address. After Beeks leaves, Maddie walks inside Luke's store to recover her slyly placed phone that recorded their conversation.
Beeks goes to Nick's address, but he isn't there. The home belongs to Amanda's grandmother, who is in assisted living. Amanda lives in the house with her boyfriend, Toby, and Nick sporadically sleeps there. Beeks remembers Toby as a young man hanging with the wrong crowd. Amanda is a far cry from those delinquents. Amanda permits Beeks to search the home, and Beeks finds Nick's old uniform. He notes it and leaves.
Maddie's assistant, Ethan, found other robberies with the same M.O. and uncovered the robber used an animal tranquilizer to knock out the owner. Maddie deduces the tranquilizer mixed with Joseph's medication, becoming lethal. She runs to the police station with the new information. Beeks pacifies and shoos her away until Captain Nyland enters with the lab results. Maddie is right. Joseph's heart medication and the robber's tranquilizer created a deadly combination. It was an accidental homicide. Captain Nyland likes Maddie's skills and makes her a volunteer reserve officer. She wants Beeks and Maddie to solve their first homicide together. Can they trust each other and catch the culprit?
This movie has a solid foundation for a series. Unlike other stories, Beeks isn't a seasoned, hard-nosed cop. This crime is the first case of his detective career, and he has something to prove. He thinks Maddie is in the way but sees her value in the case. Maddie is a true-crime lover. However, she was a crime victim who learned the purpose of tiplines. Now, she wants to be the person on the phone, lending a helping hand. It will be great to see these characters grow together. The script hinted at a future romance, but it's not needed immediately. The audience should learn about Beek's past, their families, and Maddie's start as the world's best concierge. The script gave the audience a glimpse into the Tipline Universe but has more to cover.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
Thank you, Captain - Detective Beeks
Way to go, 219 - Maddie
My therapist says the nightmares should eventually stop - Detective Grazier
You see. That's how you do it - Captain Nyland
And what would be my motive - Marcella
If you did, just tell the truth - Amanda
I am telling the truth - Toby
It was for the best, trust me - Luke
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My Husband's Killer Affair - Review
Michelle updates her husband, Will, on their nanny's prognosis. Someone attacked their caregiver, Charlotte, at the park. Now, Charlotte is in a coma, and the doctors aren't sure when she will wake up. Michelle puts away her work to attend her father-in-law's party. However, Will doesn't want to go because his father, Richard, passed him over for a promotion again. Will wants to take over Richard's real estate company but botches meetings with potential clients. To prove himself, Will set a meeting with a client, Gabe, that he lost. Will believes regaining the client will put him in line for the next promotion.
Will arrives at the bar to meet with Gabe, but Gabe can't make it because his daughter is ill. Will understands family comes first and gets a drink at the bar. A beautiful woman, Melissa, sits next to and commiserates with him. Will leaves, and Melissa makes a call. Melissa meets Will in the alley, and they kiss. He walks away.
Michelle goes to the park with her daughter, Lucy. Lucy sees a woman reading a book from her favorite series and walks over to her. Michelle sparks a conversation about it, and the woman introduces herself as Melissa. Melissa is an out-of-work nanny. Since Michelle needs help until Charlotte wakes up, she asks Melissa for her references. Later, Michelle hires Melissa.
Will worries about leaving for his trip, but Michelle assures him she's in control. However, she wishes he had time to meet the new nanny. After Will goes on his business trip, Michelle moves in to help Melissa. However, Michelle isn't the average crazy homewrecker. Will's brother, Carlton, sent her on a mission to destroy Will's life. He wants Will to lose his job, wife, and child. Melissa is his weapon of choice.
This movie has enough crazy to keep your eyes glued to the screen. When bad things happen around Michelle, it doesn't affect her directly. So, she isn't being naive to Melissa's deception. The writers did everything they could to make the audience sympathize with Melissa. She wasn't a homewrecker by choice. Carlton forced her hand by threatening her mother, Madison. You may disagree with Melissa's wrap-up, but it's just for the situation. Carlton is a scheming but fun villain, and Michelle is the aloof wife who gains strength throughout the script. This film won't be a favorite, but it entertains from beginning to end.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
I think I should get going - Will
Because I'm amazing - Michelle
You need a nanny, and I'm a really good one - Madison
I feel like we are already close friends - Carlton
How did you get into my house - Richard
I can't tell you, or it won't come true - Lucy
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May the Best Wedding Win - Review
Amber relaxes in the morning with her fiancé, Daniel, and enjoys a lazy morning before work. However, Amber instantly regrets it when she gets a text message from her co-worker, Tiffany. Tiffany, a talent manager, poached one of Amber's prospective clients. Amber vows not to take his lying down and goes to work.
Tiffany leaves her office to celebrate her victory over Amber and receives a call from her fiancé, Colin. Colin ends their engagement over the phone. Enraged, Tiffany throws the engagement ring into a fountain. As she screams on the phone, Tiffany hears Amber behind her. Tiffany composes herself and doesn't elaborate, but Amber infers what happened.
Later, Tiffany complains about canceling her wedding reservations, and Amber offers to do it for Tiffany. Tiffany calls the wedding planner, Julia, and discovers that Amber didn't cancel the wedding but changed the reservation to her name. Tiffany fumes and demands they change it back. Tiffany believes Amber did this to rub her happy life in Tiffany's face and get revenge for poaching. Julia puts the reservation in Tiffany's name again. Tiffany lies to Amber and says she made up with Colin.
Amber meets with Julia and devises a plan because she thinks Tiffany is lying. She warns Julia about Tiffany's deception and gives Julia an idea. So, to flush out Tiffany's lies, Julia should call Tiffany and state they will enforce bespoke planning. If the wedding happens, then Julia will plan a spectacular event. Otherwise, Julia will waste time and money. Julia accepts the plan and calls Tiffany for a tasting tomorrow. Tiffany begrudgingly accepts Julia's new policy and panics.
Tiffany privately asks their assistant, Emily, to look up potential clients. Emily finds Nick's acting profile, and Tiffany meets Nick at a bar. Tiffany promises to represent Ryan if he pretends to be Colin and attends Julia's meetings. Tiffany wants to keep up the ruse, so Amber loses the booking. For the sake of his career, Nick agrees to help Tiffany. Tiffany and Amber will battle, but who will win the war?
Let's all agree that Nick and Daniel are the only victims in this movie. Daniel watches his bride-to-be slip into competitive madness to prove she's right. Instead of focusing on her wedding, Amber only concerns herself with beating Tiffany. She alters their wedding at the expensive of Daniel's happiness. Unlike Daniel, Nick knows what's going on. But he slowly falls in love with Tiffany. However, Tiffany's first love is winning. Both women learn a valuable lesson at the end. And why Amber takes the reservation will make you scream and tear up. Amber and Tiffany needed one conversation to fix their issues but acted like mean girls. This movie has funny and endearing moments but can frustrate you if you have a problem with immaturity.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
I thought you would probably get dressed first - Daniel
I need to be spiky sometime - Amber
Go fish! - Tiffany
Yeah, that will be weird - Nick
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