After two minutes in the movie my wife told me that this was probably one of those Lifetime movies for stay-at-home moms and that's exactly what it was. Most of the time those are terrible movies, made with only one purpose, to kill time and to add background sound while doing your chores. It's always the same kind of lame movies. The first half is really slow, but it gets a bit better towards the end and that's why I gave it a five. There was some suspense so it was not all that bad. Don't expect award winning acting though.
13 Reviews
Above average for LMN
rdhoran24 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Not a bad movie with fewer than average plot holes. The casts acting was acceptable.
But one plot hole is a real doozy. We are not told immediately that Grace was an au pair for the Jacksons, this is kept a secret to the audience for most of the movie. We finally learn that she was with them at least several weeks. Assuming the Jacksons were not complete recluses, I'm assuming their friends and/or relatives met Grace and also knew what baby Jackson looked like.
So Grace becomes obsessed, kills Mr. Jackson and puts him in the basement freezer, and chains up Mrs. Jackson in the basement as a milk supply for their baby boy. Then she pretends the child hers and calls him by a different name. She is constantly out socializing with the boy.
So, how is it remotely plausible that nobody in the neighborhood questions why the Jacksons disappear suddenly? They never put the house up for sale and never mentioned moving out. And how does nobody realize that Grace suddenly has a child of her own that looks exactly like the baby Jackson, in the very same house where she was the au pair? That requires quite a leap of faith.
But one plot hole is a real doozy. We are not told immediately that Grace was an au pair for the Jacksons, this is kept a secret to the audience for most of the movie. We finally learn that she was with them at least several weeks. Assuming the Jacksons were not complete recluses, I'm assuming their friends and/or relatives met Grace and also knew what baby Jackson looked like.
So Grace becomes obsessed, kills Mr. Jackson and puts him in the basement freezer, and chains up Mrs. Jackson in the basement as a milk supply for their baby boy. Then she pretends the child hers and calls him by a different name. She is constantly out socializing with the boy.
So, how is it remotely plausible that nobody in the neighborhood questions why the Jacksons disappear suddenly? They never put the house up for sale and never mentioned moving out. And how does nobody realize that Grace suddenly has a child of her own that looks exactly like the baby Jackson, in the very same house where she was the au pair? That requires quite a leap of faith.
Exciting TV movie!!
kyleallencole928 April 2019
Finally a good one
CranberriAppl21 May 2021
Probably because there are actual actors in it. There are some of the normal Lifetime problems that they just won't fix like people going missing and yet no family or friends are truly looking for them. But it was a good thriller. I've watched it twice. I don't think you'll be surprised by anything, but it's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. This is another movie that balances out the standard campy fare we are used to from the network. More of these please.
I really liked the chemistry between Natalie and her husband Ryan. They were a believable couple and believable new parents. So so glad they didn't go the predictable route and have him cheat w/Grace. That's the only spoiler I'll give.
PS. I couldn't help but notice that for once Lifetime used normal homes in this movie. They typically use a ridiculous amount of cold, empty McMansions that almost never jive with the career prospects of the characters.
I really liked the chemistry between Natalie and her husband Ryan. They were a believable couple and believable new parents. So so glad they didn't go the predictable route and have him cheat w/Grace. That's the only spoiler I'll give.
PS. I couldn't help but notice that for once Lifetime used normal homes in this movie. They typically use a ridiculous amount of cold, empty McMansions that almost never jive with the career prospects of the characters.
Would have been better without the bad parts
tomfsloan27 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I will list my observations in no particular order.
Well done cinematography.
Typical convenient open doors and unlocked windows.
The knife scene about 2/3 of the way through was no surprise.
I liked all the women, even though most of them looked alike.
The movie had loud echoes of Glenn Close. The basement scene was when the movie jumped the shark.
Notice the woman that was in the basement was awfully calm. What happened soon after that was somewhat of a surprise. But the screwdriver scene after that was disappointing.
Also, SO typical of these movies...stabbed, hit, clobbered with a crowbar, there is no stopping the bad girl. Just like the Incredible Hulkess.
This movie has another title, The Perfect One. But Mommy Group Murder is a far better title.
Happy, but blah ending.
Riddled with problems, but the last 20 minutes are great
Davalon-Davalon24 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This is the highest rating I've ever given a Lifetime movie. There are many, many things wrong with this, including the standard and stupid trick of leaving a door open, having someone appear out of nowhere right behind you, having visions of horrible things that aren't happening, becoming fast friends with people just because they happen to be in your neighborhood, and the worst one of all: the fact that apparently there are no other people in the entire universe related to the characters in this movie. In other words: except for Maria, not one person in this movie has a sibling, a parent, a friend outside of town, or any other family member. This is virtually impossible. So, that is a big fail.
But if we put those bits of insanity behind us, the film makes a strong effort to show how one woman's post-partum depression puts her at the edge of madness. She's moved to a new town, doesn't have a single friend, and, of course, the first person she befriends is "Grace," the most beautiful woman in town. But Grace has horrible, horrible, horrible secrets. If you pay close attention, you'll probably figure them out, but if not, stick with the movie because it does pay off in the end.
I think that Leah Pipes, as "Natalie," deserves a mention, because she was very "real." She had skin problems and they didn't try to cover it up. But she had a killer smile, beautiful eyes, and she could bring that depressed sadness and tears at a moment's notice.
It drags a bit at the start, and there is a lot of talking and a lot of scenes of people drinking or pouring drinks or talking about drinks. And the director seemed to think it was important to get shots of those drinks. I'm not sure why. But if you can hold on until the last 20 minutes, there are shocks galore.
Two other things that bothered me: the film is supposed to be about Natalie and how she copes (or doesn't) with her post-partum depression, but for several stretches it focuses on Maria and her issues with her philandering husband Tony. So, we kind of lose our focus for a while.
Also, in the last birthday scene, where on earth was Roz? She was a part of the group from the beginning, but she is inexplicably gone at the end? I'd love to know why.
Otherwise, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised for a shocking 20 minute last act, which, if you are paying attention, is pretty well set up and pays off great.
But if we put those bits of insanity behind us, the film makes a strong effort to show how one woman's post-partum depression puts her at the edge of madness. She's moved to a new town, doesn't have a single friend, and, of course, the first person she befriends is "Grace," the most beautiful woman in town. But Grace has horrible, horrible, horrible secrets. If you pay close attention, you'll probably figure them out, but if not, stick with the movie because it does pay off in the end.
I think that Leah Pipes, as "Natalie," deserves a mention, because she was very "real." She had skin problems and they didn't try to cover it up. But she had a killer smile, beautiful eyes, and she could bring that depressed sadness and tears at a moment's notice.
It drags a bit at the start, and there is a lot of talking and a lot of scenes of people drinking or pouring drinks or talking about drinks. And the director seemed to think it was important to get shots of those drinks. I'm not sure why. But if you can hold on until the last 20 minutes, there are shocks galore.
Two other things that bothered me: the film is supposed to be about Natalie and how she copes (or doesn't) with her post-partum depression, but for several stretches it focuses on Maria and her issues with her philandering husband Tony. So, we kind of lose our focus for a while.
Also, in the last birthday scene, where on earth was Roz? She was a part of the group from the beginning, but she is inexplicably gone at the end? I'd love to know why.
Otherwise, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised for a shocking 20 minute last act, which, if you are paying attention, is pretty well set up and pays off great.
So boring
LaverneandShirleysucks29 April 2022
There's really no story. The bulk of the film are scenes of a bunch of suburban baby moms and their boring suburban lives. I just couldn't relate as I waited for some kind of plot to unfold. I guess new mothers who sit home and watch Lifetime movies would love this. Not me.
Decent Watch
myreviewss6 October 2019
Nothing I'd watch again. The lead actress was overly dramatic. The movie was at some times corny. Typical Suburban Mom movie, I wish these movies would be better. It wasn't the worst, but you'd probably be better off watching something else.
About Lydia Jackson
sweetiebea1 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It's an okay movie. Enjoyed the twist at the end. But where were Lydia Jackson's and her husband's friends and family? For months Grace took over the house and baby and not one police report for 2 missing adults? The movie would have been better if they showed how Grace pulled that off. Complete isolation from coworkers, family and friends.
The Strength of the Tribe
lavatch10 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Natalie and Ryan Westport have just moved to Louisville with their new baby Billy. Ryan is starting a new job, and Natalie, a fifth-grade schoolteacher, is still recovering from a difficult labor. She meets a woman named Grace who comes to the rescue when Natalie's baby carriage is tumbling towards the lake much like the carriage of Eisenstein's classic film on the stairs of Odessa in "Potemkin."
Grace then invites Natalie to become a member of the Friday mommies' club, who call themselves The Tribe. True to their name, by the end of the film, the women have made a superhuman effort to support one another in a grim struggle for survival.
As the principal drama of an imposter among The Tribe unfolds, the filmmakers adopt a gritty, realistic style. Natalie is learning about breast-feeding and the use of the breast pump, and there are some fairly graphic depictions of the mechanics. In the close-ups, Natalie's face has red blotches from the stress of rearing a newborn. As she struggles with depression, Natalie has experienced some delusional thinking and images of not being a good mom. She has even stopped taking her meds, which is ominous. But nothing has prepared her for the trial that she must now face.
The title "Mommy Group Murder" (a.k.a., "The Perfect One") refers to deranged character of Grace, whose obsessions have led her to commit murder beginning with her senior year in high school when she killed her boyfriend. Now, she has murdered Drew Jackson, taken over his home, and locked his wife Lydia in the basement where she is forced into using a breast pump to feed the little baby that Grace covets. When the weaning is finished, Grace plans to kill Lydia.
Grace has also found the the time to have an affair with Tony, the husband of Maria, the kind ER doctor who is a member of The Tribe. When Tony tries to break off the relationship, she kills him in his own home. By now, the two other members of The Tribe, Natalie and Roz, are getting wise to Grace.
The close of the film was dynamic and action-packed with snappy dialogue and interesting camera angles in the Jackson house. The characters of the Tribe members were exceptionally well-developed. Natalie was motivated by the words of her late mother, who told her, "Trust your instincts, and love your child every moment." It was that wisdom that helped Natalie through her ordeal in conjunction with some powerful assistance from the fighting spirit of The Tribe.
Grace then invites Natalie to become a member of the Friday mommies' club, who call themselves The Tribe. True to their name, by the end of the film, the women have made a superhuman effort to support one another in a grim struggle for survival.
As the principal drama of an imposter among The Tribe unfolds, the filmmakers adopt a gritty, realistic style. Natalie is learning about breast-feeding and the use of the breast pump, and there are some fairly graphic depictions of the mechanics. In the close-ups, Natalie's face has red blotches from the stress of rearing a newborn. As she struggles with depression, Natalie has experienced some delusional thinking and images of not being a good mom. She has even stopped taking her meds, which is ominous. But nothing has prepared her for the trial that she must now face.
The title "Mommy Group Murder" (a.k.a., "The Perfect One") refers to deranged character of Grace, whose obsessions have led her to commit murder beginning with her senior year in high school when she killed her boyfriend. Now, she has murdered Drew Jackson, taken over his home, and locked his wife Lydia in the basement where she is forced into using a breast pump to feed the little baby that Grace covets. When the weaning is finished, Grace plans to kill Lydia.
Grace has also found the the time to have an affair with Tony, the husband of Maria, the kind ER doctor who is a member of The Tribe. When Tony tries to break off the relationship, she kills him in his own home. By now, the two other members of The Tribe, Natalie and Roz, are getting wise to Grace.
The close of the film was dynamic and action-packed with snappy dialogue and interesting camera angles in the Jackson house. The characters of the Tribe members were exceptionally well-developed. Natalie was motivated by the words of her late mother, who told her, "Trust your instincts, and love your child every moment." It was that wisdom that helped Natalie through her ordeal in conjunction with some powerful assistance from the fighting spirit of The Tribe.
Kept me interested.
phd_travel18 March 2019
A woman having a rough time after childbirth is befriended by a pretty divorced single mom and introduced to a group of new mothers. Things get quite complex with infidelity and murder. The climax is quite scary by Lifetime standards with some unexpected twists.
Helena Mattson is pretty as the wacko. Leah Pipes is suitably frazzled as the depressed new mother.
Some of the texts are hard to read.
More diverting than the usual wacko thriller.
Helena Mattson is pretty as the wacko. Leah Pipes is suitably frazzled as the depressed new mother.
Some of the texts are hard to read.
More diverting than the usual wacko thriller.
Superb
haroot_azarian13 April 2021
Just like another contributor said, this was one of the best LMN movies ever! For once the music was superb and Leah Pipes was just fantastic surrounded by good supporting actors! And the story was not at all far-fetched! Big thumbs up!
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