Sister Wife Murder - Review
Chloe's mother, Lois, yells at Chloe to wake up for work. Chloe mumbles she lost her job, and Lois expresses her frustration with Chloe. Since Chloe's father died, Chloe's life has been in a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol, and parties. Lois won't allow Chloe to lay around the house. She tells Chloe to get out of bed, get a job, and attend church. Chloe grumbles and attends.
Chloe gazes at Caleb preaching the word at the pulpit and becomes entranced. She tries to move closer, but the parishioners block her. So Chloe walks over to the TV to see him. Afterward, Caleb pulls Chloe aside and discusses ways she can get involved in the church. Caleb believes everyone has a testimony and asks Chloe to work with the youth ministry. Also, he runs a foundation called Sacred Heart, which helps needy families. He offers Chloe a job, and she says yes.
Margo meets Chloe at Sacred Heart and shows Chloe around the office. Chloe will work at the call center to gather donations and familiarize herself with their day-to-day operations. Chloe returns to Lois's home after a great day at work. Lois sees the change in Chloe and gives Chloe a bracelet. Chloe meets with her friends, Alexis and Dalton, and drones about Caleb. Alexis reminds Chloe he is a married man. Chloe laughs because she was only looking.
Chloe gets familiar with Sacred Heart while spending time with Caleb. Soon, Caleb and Chloe become intimate. However, Chloe doesn't want to be his dirty secret and wants to know if they have a future. Caleb explains that his wife, Anna, knows about their relationship. He feels God called him to share his love with others, and Anna understands. Chloe pretends to accept the arrangement, but her jealousy grows. Later, Caleb asks Chloe to skip Alexis's party for a retreat. He convinces Chloe to say yes.
Chloe shares her hardships with the retreat attendees and connects with Anna and Caleb. Chloe wakes at night and walks around the canteen. She finds Caleb kissing Margo and runs out of the room. She demands to know why Caleb is with a third woman. Caleb admits he is married to Margo and Anna and wants Chloe to join their family. He assures Chloe that the women are happy and believes Chloe will be a great addition. They invite Chloe to dinner to meet everyone and see how they live. After dinner, Chloe leaves home, marries Caleb, and becomes a sister-wife. She believes she is following God's path. But the devil has her fooled, and one sister-wife pays the ultimate price.
This movie spends time on character development to make Chloe's change from party girl to sister-wife believable. Chloe is depressed and looking for guidance from a strong male presence. However, Chloe knows this life isn't conventional and lies to her friends and family about why she's moving in with Caleb. Once Chloe is in the home, it doesn't take long for cracks to form. The women have an orderly life under Caleb's constant control. When he isn't around, Anna keeps a watchful eye over the flock. Your skin will crawl when Caleb defends his abusive actions with the bible. Then, you will wait for each woman to see the light. This film is entertaining, but the murder takes time because of well-written character development.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
She understands the sacrifices. Do you? - Caleb
How do you know I won't be a terrible influence - Chloe
He's special. Isn't he? - Anna
You're funny. I like funny - Margo
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Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Tale of Three Letters - Review
Oliver and Shane return from their honeymoon with joy in their hearts. Shane familiarizes herself with Oliver's home while Oliver learns about Shane's quirks. They return to the Dead Letter Office (DLO) and hug their friends, co-workers Norman and Rita. Oliver talks about the British Postal Museum with Norman, and Shane tells Rita about their other excursions. Then, Shane and Oliver notice something on the wall: the 2017 Great Mailbox Breach letters. Someone found them and sent them to the DLO. The POstables can't contain their excitement and open the first letter to find the owner. Someone sent it to Maria. The sender reprimanded Maria for her actions and suggested that jail is a better option to help Maria build character. Shane questions if they should find the recipient, and Oliver stares at her in shock. They work together to analyze clues in the letter to locate Maria and deliver it to her.
Shane, Norman, Oliver, and Rita meet Joe at a restaurant. Rita worries because Norman is dragging his feet over their adoption paperwork. Shane thinks Charley's baby, Eleanor has Norman's heart. Charley arrives with Eleanor, and Norman offers to take the baby for a walk. The POstables realize Charley went to the same school as Maria. They question her, but Charley doesn't have answers. Then, Charley admits to the group that the breach was her fault. She and her friends, Marlon and Barry, like to play pranks. So they put an alarm clock in the mailbox and set it to ring during the carrier's scheduled pickup. However, the alarm didn't sound, and the mail carrier mistook the ticking for a bomb. The authorities detonated the mailbox to prevent potential damage. The POstables will find three letters in this set that will change the course of their work, lives, and loves forever.
This installment in the POstable series takes a realistic view of marriage. The last movie could have ended the story with a happily ever after, but the writers make a brave choice and show the truth. The wedding is the first step, not the finish line. Shane throws Oliver's button-up life into disarray when she leaves shoes around, doesn't care about the bed, and thumbs her nose at the historical society. Shane feels like an intruder in Oliver's home and wishes he would loosen up by breaking a few rules. Also, Norman and Rita have marital woes surrounding their adoption. Both couples have issues but help each other through them with sage advice. This film will warm your heart while showing a healthy but uncomfortable argument and three letters that provide a miracle for everyone.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
So they'll understand if we are a little late - Shane
How was the cheese - Norman
I didn't hear you say that - Oliver
Tomorrow, we seize the day - Charley
But you didn't - Rita
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Deadly Wives Club - Review
Jack gets a fabulous opportunity to work at a better company for more money, and his wife, Anita, is excited until she learns they must move. Anita is socially awkward and hasn't been able to make friends after their daughter, Jilly, got better. Jack assures Anita it will be easy because their new neighborhood has a country club with events. Also, Jilly can stop homeschooling and attend public school. Jack thinks this will be a fresh start for their family. After Anita agrees, they get a call from their social worker, Kendra. Kendra asks Anita to consider opening Jilly's adoption, but Anita vehemently refuses.
Jack and Anita move to Predator's Ridge with Jilly. Anita and Jilly eat treats while window shopping, and Anita loses sight of Jilly. Anita frantically searches for Jilly and finds Jilly talking to Marti. Marti is Anita's landlord and is friends with the woman, Sarah, who head-hunted Jack. Marti and the other wives want to welcome Jack and Anita to the neighborhood with a party at Joy's house. Anita agrees.
Anita admits to having an emotional affair, her social anxiety, and Jilly's illness in one conversation at the party. She apologizes for talking too much and asks for water. Joy requests Anita go to the garage to get more while Joy watches the grill. Anita walks into the garage and finds a ladder with a fixed rung. Then, the garage door slams shut and locks. She screams for help until Sarah opens it. Later, Anita finds a photo of four women together. It's Joy, Marti, Sarah, and Patrice. Sadly, Patrice died years ago.
Jack and Anita eat with his boss, Hank, and Hank's wife, Bonnie. Bonnie gushes about moving away from the wives club because she thinks they got away with murder. During a party, Patrice fell off a ladder, obtaining a frisbee. The police said it was an accident, but Bonnie blames the wives. Anita remembers the ladder's rung and suspects Jack's job wasn't a stroke of good luck.
Later, Anita has dinner with Joy, Sarah, and Marti. Sarah conceived after IVF, and Joy is the godmother of Sarah's child. However, Joy and Marti hope to have kids someday. They commiserate about their husbands and give Anita a gold TWC pin. They say TWC stands for The Wives Club, Together We Conquer, and The Women's Circle. While the acronym means many things, one rule holds: loyalty has no limits. They ask Anita to join, and she graciously says yes. Anita believes this is the first step of friendship, but should she heed Bonnie's warning?
Anita has zero survival skills. She attempts to investigate the gossip but gets caught each time. So, your frustration will grow watching her. The wives are worse than gangs. They bribe, threaten, and cheat to get what they want. However, their foundation is shaky. They are at each other's throats midway through the movie. It's hard to understand their goal until the end. The wrap-up has a lot of action around the culprit's monologue, so piecing the motive together is complex. Also, you need to remember two key characters from the beginning of the script. The film may be confusing, but it's a captivating watch.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Every married woman has planned her divorce at least once - Sarah
It will be better than counseling - Jack
Are the wives keeping secrets - Anita
You don't need to be nervous - Ethan
They're the most loyal friends I've ever had - Marti
If 'loyalty has no limits' means murder, then they can keep it - Bonnie
She's our friend - Joy
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Couples Retreat Murder - Review
Rebecca leaves her home and drives to a bar after arguing with her husband, Jim. Rebecca tells her friend, Paulina, that Jim's work motivation has become an obsession since he got a new job. Paulina reminds Rebecca that Rebecca wanted Jim to get a better job to dig them out of their financial hole. But Rebecca didn't think he would have to work this much. Rebecca confesses that she admires Paulina's relationship with Paulina's husband, Phil. Paulina admits that she and Phil attend couples retreats to help their marriage and encourages Rebecca to attend the next retreat at Lotusland. Rebecca stumbles home and hears Jim murmuring on the phone. He ends the conversation before Rebecca can decipher it.
Rebecca looks up the retreat in the morning and convinces Jim to attend and save their marriage. Jim relents and drives there. On the road, Rebecca admits this trip was Paulina's idea. Jim pulls over and screams because he doesn't like Phil. And he doesn't want them to know their business. Rebecca reveals she kept this secret so Jim would go. Frustrated, Jim agrees to keep up appearances for their marriage.
Counselor Alan greets Jim and Rebecca. They are the first couple to arrive, so he shows them around the property. After the other couples arrive, they learn the rules. The retreat removes their phones and doesn't have meat or alcohol, so the couples can focus on each other without being weighed down or distracted. Jim, a lawyer, scoffs but gives in. The couples hope this will reignite their relationships, but someone will die.
Lifetimers will rejoice when Rebecca discovers that she has cell service at the remote retreat. When Alan takes their phones, it dashes your hopes. It's the first sign that things will go wrong. This retreat sounds miserable, so it's easy to side with Jim's outburst. Also, Alan is too hands-on with Rebecca every time he sees her, and she never corrects his behavior. The editors made one flaw by having a commercial break during the culprit's monologue. It makes the confession disjointed and distracting. Experiences Lifetimers will spot inappropriate behavior, brief interactions, and glances throughout the film. So you know something more is going on in this plot. This movie is a solvable mystery with a comfortable motive, and it fills the holes during the conclusion. However, viewers must assume the survivor is okay.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
You sound like my mother - Rebecca
That's because we work on it - Paulina
I'm not so sure how much we are going to learn from a guy like that - Jim
Look at this darling honeysuckle. You are delicious - Phil
It was in the fine print - Alan
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