I read the book by Stephanie Land, which is what I believe this series was loosely based on. The book was excellent, and so is the tv series, but other than the basic premise of a young single mother trying desperately to support herself by working as a maid, they have very little in common. The tv series has deep themes of domestic abuse and dysfunctional families and explores very little about her relationships or observations of/with her clients - which is what the book mostly focuses on. Either way, I recommend both - this tv series or the book - but don't expect them to have much in common.
A decent movie, not great but a little more realistic than I thought it would be... with a few glaring exceptions. Money for one - the guardians are told there is no money to help raise the child (or make payments on the house or anything else for that matter apparently). What about life insurance? You mean to tell me that two highly successful parents that go so far as to have a lawyer to help them come up with a plan for guardianship for their very young daughter and discuss their home as an investment forget to have a conversation about life insurance????? What about the money from their 401(k)s? It just makes no sense that there is zero money left to the two guardians to help them care for the little girl - in some circumstances- yes, it does - but not from parents where one was a junior partner and I forget what the other was, but that house! that neighborhood! that level of planning!
Oh never mind, it's just a movie.
Exactly what I like and seems so difficult to find - a plausible scare without gore that doesn't wimp out on the ending AND actually makes me care what happens to the characters. Also in this one, I get why they are where they are -no one is sleeping in an abandoned mental asylum. No need for tons of special effects, this was very good. Not perfect - but very good.
Good acting, good cinematography, a decent premise.... and it all fell short (except that great ending). There were way too many holes in story, we had to take too many leaps of faith for this to be plausible- it rips you out of the moment. And the unanswered questions! Like what was up with the scene showing the scars on the mother's back? It's never addressed! And what about that ridiculous garden? What was the point of that? The perfectly well adjusted 18 year old girl doesn't have a single friend? Not one? The pharmacist really thinks the 18 yo girl in the wheel chair is playing some scavenger hunt game with her mother and they have to guess the name of pills? And where did that line of people at the pharmacy come from? There weren't that many cars parked outside? Ok, I can let that one go, but seriously, there were so many of those moments!
It had potential, but ended up being meh.
