Category Archives: Family Secrets

2020, Corruption, Creepy, Family Secrets, Marital Infidelity, Murder, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Plot Twist, Thriller

Inheritance (2020)

From Netflix:

When Lauren’s wealthy father dies and leaves her the keys to a
hidden bunker on their estate, what she finds could destroy her
family — and their lives.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 51 minute semi-creepy thriller.

Immediately Lauren Monroe discovers that her father kept a man named Morgan Warner locked in an underground prison for 20 years. Little by little Morgan reveals how corrupt the Monroe family really is.  Horrified with each revelation, Lauren must decide what to do with Morgan and all those family secrets.

From the beginning you must suspend disbelief in questionable details. How could anyone maintain his sanity chained in an underground prison with light for just a few minutes each day?

Not exactly cheery Christmas fare. Expect a good plot twist.

2022, Abandoned child, Acceptable for teenagers, B-movie, Chick Flick, Christmas theme, Corny at times, Death of a child, Drama, Failed Marriage, Family Secrets, Father-son relations, Flashbacks, Happy ending, Netflix Streaming, NOT violent, Quiet, Reconciliation, Romance, Unmarried mother

The Noel Diary (2022)

From IMDB:

The story of a man who returns home on Christmas to settle his estranged mother’s estate. Once there, he discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his own past and of a beautiful young woman on a mysterious journey of her own.

From Netflix:

Cleaning out his childhood home at Christmas, a novelist meets a
woman searching for her birth mother. Will an old diary unlock
their pasts — and hearts?

From Netlix you can stream this 1 hour 40 minute romance drama.

While a step up from a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, this is still in the same vein.  Of course the famous popular writer Jacob Turner (played by Justin Hartley) will eventually fall in love with Rachel (played by Barrett Doss).

And no, I have never heard of any of the actors.

Still, it is a relief from all the omnipresent violent entertainment in today’s streaming choices.

And it is NOT sappy.

2015, Abandoned child, Abortion, Adopted child, Arson, Attempted Murder, Blackmail, Bullying, Burglars, Career Competition, Career Criminal, Contract Killing, Controlling personality, Cooking and food, Corrupt Prison Guards, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Erotic Tension, Ethical struggles, Failed Father, False Imprisonment, Family Secrets, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Frame someone for a crime, French, French Culture, Friendship, Happy ending, Jealousy, Love Story, Love Triangle, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Murder by poison, Must suspend disbelief, Narcissist, Occasionaly violent, Personal Betrayal, Police Investigation, Prison, Revenge, Romance, Sex Scenes, Uncle-Niece relations, Unwanted Pregnancy

Chefs (2015)

From IMDB:

Chefs in France. Competition drama and more.

From MHz Choice you can stream 2 seasons of this French soap opera centered around the competition between chefs. Season 1 offers 6 episodes whereas season 2 offers 8 episodes. Each episode is a bit under one hour. In French with English subtitles.

Where to begin!  This over-the-top melodrama is something only the French could conjure and runs the gamut from vegetables to love to murder.  Name a topic and it is probably involved. Still the gist of the series is:

  • Le Chef (we never hear his name) is the chef of Le Paris, an expensive and renowned Parisian restaurant who oversees and bullies his expert staff to achieve perfection.
  • Romain is out of jail for burglary and gets a job with Le Chef. We learn later that Romain does not know that he is the estranged son of Le Chef, whereas Le Chef recognizes his son. For most of the series Romain hates Le Chef, especially when he learns more about his father.
  • One constant theme is the fierce and unlawful competition to purchase various properties on which restaurants are located. For example,  Monsieur Edouard, a major villain in the story, manages to purchase Le Paris and force Le Chef to accept as a manager
  • Delphine, a beautiful and ruthless woman, whom Le Chef hates at first glance. Needless to say they eventually fall in love.
  • Yann is a superb kitchen culinary technician that is yet another villain.  Eventually we learn to sympathize with Yann.
  • Additionally there are far too many beautiful young women to record.  As the story proceeds each woman manages to love and leave various men.  Did I mention that this drama is a soap opera?

You will not learn a single recipe even as you watch zillions of meals go by that are too precious or exotic to believe.  Expect burglars, loan sharks, hired thugs,  Russian roulette poisoned meals,  betrayals, attack dogs, apprenticeships in using knives and preparing Chinese food,  unwanted pregnancy,  love affairs,   murder,  and difficult stays in prison to name a few.  Did I mention over-the-top?

If this milieu appeals to you then, DO NOT MISS!

 

2022, Acceptable for teenagers, Accidental Death, Amazon Prime Brit Box, Based on true facts, Basically Sad, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, British Drama, British History, British Police, British Politics, Detective, Drama, Ethical struggles, Everybody lies, Family Secrets, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Government cover-up, Historical Fiction, Manslaughter, Marital Infidelity, Miners, Miners versus Scabs, Murder, Occasionaly violent, Panic Attacks, Personal Betrayal, Police cover-up, Police Culture, Police Investigation, Redemption, Revenge, Sister-sister relations, Small British village, Suicide, Suspense, Undercover police spy, Undercover police work, Violent, Wonderful acting, Yorkshire Accents

Sherwood (2022)

From IMDB:

Two shocking and unexpected murders shatter an already fractured community leading to one of the largest manhunts in British history.

From Amazon Prime Brit Box you can stream the 6 episodes of this north England series. Each episode is just under an hour.

In 1984 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher crushed a coal miner’s strike, thereby earning her title of “Iron Lady.”  Hard feelings between the striking miner’s and those who continued to work, so-called “scabs”,  have persisted from then on.  Sherwood is a small town historically associated with Robin Hood.  Of all the town’s inhabitants only one family is a “scab” family.  Striker versus scab is the paramount theme of this series which continually bounces back and forth between 1984 and the present.

Past tragedies involved the  young policemen and miners who now are middle age going on retirement.  One challenge in watching this series is to match the young characters with their present-day versions.

There are three vital subplots:

  • Someone is murdering people with a crossbow. We soon learn who and the police hunt is intense.
  • Andy Fisher inadvertently kills his daughter-in-law and the hunt is on.
  • In 1984 there was an undercover police spy, dubbed the “spy cop”, who incorporated his-or-herself into the community.  Again there is this third hunt to find the “spy cop.”

If you watch much British drama you will recognize many familiar faces. As usual in British drama the acting is superb.  With such an engaging and suspenseful plot you cannot go wrong.

DO NOT MISS!

2011, Adopted child, Alzheimer's disease, Amusing banter, Baby Selling, Baby snatching, Blackmail, British Drama, British Mystery Series, Cocaine, Comic Moments, Conspiracy, Corrupt Care Givers, Corrupt policemen, Corrupt Politicians, Dark family secrets, DO NOT MISS, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Failed Father, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Family Secrets, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flashbacks, Friendship, Illegitimate Child, Journalist, Marital Infidelity, Mental Institution, Nudity, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Physical child abuse, Plot Twist, Rape, Sad small town, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Vulgar

Exile (2011)

From PBS Passport:

Tom Ronstadt’s world has fallen apart. Tom returns to his hometown and begins to unravel the mystery that drove him away years ago, unaware that he is unearthing a devastating crime that will reveal secrets he could never have imagined.

From PBS Passport you can stream the 3 episodes of this mystery drama series. Each episode lasts about an hour.

With a cast of British actors “to die for”, you cannot go wrong:

  • Tom Ronstadt (played by John Simm) is a washed-up reporter who returns to his hometown where he finds that
  • his sister Nancy (played by Olivia Colman) has devoted her life to caring for
  • her father (played by Jim Broadbent) who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Tom, ever on the prowl, hooks up with the barmaid Mandy Eldridge  (played by Claire Goose) who turns out to be the wife of
  • Mike Eldridge (played by Shaun Dooley) who was Tom’s best buddy while they were growing up.
  • Mike works for Metzler (played by Timothy West) who, we learn bit by bit, is a horrible but well disguised monster.

Only warning in sight: Expect a constant stream of vulgar banter.

Sound intriguing?  Expect shocking plot revelations.

DO NOT MISS!

2022, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, Adopted child, Amazon Prime, Ambiguous Conclusion, Amnesia, Attempted Murder, Bizarre, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Bull Riding, Bullying, Confusing Plot, Dark family secrets, Defies Categorization, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Family Secrets, Fantasy, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Fist Fight, Flashbacks, Incomplete ending, Manslaughter, Marital Infidelity, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Mysterious, Mysterious Disappearance, Paranormal theme, Police Investigation, Problematic Ending, Puzzling Conclusion, Romance, Unusual

Outer Range (2022)

From Amazon Prime:

A rancher fighting for his land and family discovers an unfathomable mystery at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness.

From Amazon Prime you can stream all 8 episodes of Season 1. Each episode lasts between 42 minutes and about 1 hour.

So far there is only one season. And that season is a real head-scratcher. Wonderful acting, beautiful scenery, interesting plot details. But what on earth is the story about?  Certainly this is a fantasy film (but not a horror film).   Episode 8 ends in a very uncertain manner with no hint of a conclusion.  Is there to be another season or have I really missed the point?

Josh Brolin, who plays Royal Abbott, is probably the best known actor.  He and all the other actors do a really fine job in keeping us confused.

Beats me?!

2020, 2021, Acceptable for teenagers, British Drama, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Dancing, Drama, Erotic Tension, Family Conflict, Family Secrets, Fashion, Father-son relations, Fatherless child, Flirting, Fraud, Gambling, Hopeless Love, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Period Piece, Prostitutes, Regency Era Britain, Remarkable Costumes, Romance, Sex Scenes, Soap Opera, Social Class Inequality, Too Long, Unhappy Marriage, Unloved Child, Unmarried mother, Unwanted Pregnancy, Verbose

Bridgerton (2020)

From IMDB:

Wealth, lust, and betrayal set against the backdrop of Regency-era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family.

From Netflix you can stream 2 seasons of this Regency-era serial soap opera.  Each season consists of 8 episodes, each episode lasting roughly one hour.

During the American revolution George III was king of England. Because he suffered from periodic madness due to porphyria (disputed), his son acted as regent and later became George IV. For this reason this period of history is called the Regency era.

Among the wealthy London aristocrats of the Regency era, social competition and ambition centered around gossip,  fancy apparel, and above all else finding suitable husbands for one’s daughters. “Suitable” here means wealthy and hopefully titled, as in prince beats duke beats lord.  Bridgerton in it entirety is about gossip, fancy apparel and husband pursuits.  And what fun it is to watch!

SLIGHT NEGATIVES:

  • Do not be put off by the very beginning in which we see a bare-assed Anthony Bridgerton copulating with his lower class lover against a tree.  Although there are plenty of sex scenes, this is not a trashy production.
  • Talk, talk, talk and more talk.  There is much repetitious talk.

NOTABLE FEATURES:

  • As far as being “woke”,  irregardless of any particular role, parts are mixed between races. For example: Simon Basset, Lady Danbury, and Queen Charlotte are black;  members of the Sharma family are from India; most actors are white.
  • You may not recognize her, but the voice of Lady Whistledown reading her gossip column is none other than Julie Andrews.
  • Underlying all the husband and wife hunting is the motivation for the main protagonists Daphne and Anthony Bridgerton and the Sharma sisters that despite all the imposed societal ambitions,  true love is the oft scorned but most desired quality of a good marriage.

SEASON ONE

Season One is devoted to finding Daphne Bridgerton a husband. After much  pretending and maneuvering,  Duke Simon is the one.  As far as difficulties are concerned, Simon has taken a vow against his much despised father to never produce an heir to the title.

As an extra major distraction, the search is on the discover the identity of Lady Whistledown, the weekly publisher of a gossip paper that more or less rules society.  My lips are sealed.

One further theme is the friendship between Eloise Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.  In reality the Featherington family is penniless, meaning that their daughters MUST marry well in order to rescue the family from its gambling induced poverty.

SEASON TWO

Season Two is devoted to finding a suitable wife for Anthony Bridgerton and a suitable husband for Kate Sharma.   Along the way Anthony misguidedly proposes marriage to Kate’s sister Edwina.

We learn the identity of Lady Whistledown while Queen Charlotte threatens Eloise Bridgerton with ruin if she fails to discover the true identity of Lady Whistledown.

Season Two does not end happily ever after for all. Will there be a Season Three, dear reader?

2015, Autism, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Disguises, Divorced Mother, DO NOT MISS, Failed Marriage, Family Conflict, Family Secrets, Father-daughter relations, Gay Bashing, Gay theme, Lesbian Theme, Mother-daughter relations, Muddled biblical references, Murder, Occasionaly violent, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Personality or religious cult, Physical fighting, Police Investigation, Profiler, Religious fanatic, Romance, Suspense, Swedish crime series, Swedish Detective

Modus (2015)

From IMDB;

During a snowy Christmas season in Sweden, psychologist and profiler Inger Johanne Vik and her autistic daughter both get drawn into the investigation of a number of disturbing deaths.

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming you can stream  the 8 episodes of this Swedish mystery series. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Just because the villain intends to kill multiple victims does not, as I understand the term, make the villain a serial killer. Rather in this well-done series his motive has a homicidal rationality.  But I will leave it up to you to guess for yourself that motive before the profiler Inger Vik realizes what is happening.

Many well-presented characters interact.  Throw a romance into the pot and the result is successful suspense.

DO NOT MISS!