source: Murder In-Law

Moviecut—Murder In-Law

I wonder whether the entire cast of this movie ever regrets doing such a lousy show. Perhaps they needed the work. The plot made absolutely no sense. First, the reason Barbara Williams (Claire) pushes her husband down the stairs - and starts the whole chain of events - is not clear. Next, Angie DeGrazia (Charlie), the friend of Kristen Dalton (Allison, the daughter in-law) starts off really assertive, encouraging Allison to stand up to Claire. Doesn't one think that when Claire made that surprise visit to her house that Charlie would have just forced her out, rather than succumb to Claire's blackmailing her into fighting with Allison? Also, after that incident, Charlie lets Claire into her home a second time! And Claire kills Charlie in her home with a meat tenderizer within her own kitchen! Really! A perpetrator who commits a premeditated murder at the victim's home is not likely to use a weapon or object found at the victim's home; the perpetrator would bring her own weapon. Even the veteran detective, Will (Tony Denison), misses this basic fact. Finally, wouldn't Mark Collier (Jim) and Courtney Compton (Mariah, Jim's girlfriend before marrying Allison) immediately catch on to Claire's motives of that dinner to be caught by Allison? And wouldn't they be upset at her for being so deceptive? Even the ending when the police are taking Claire away is just wrong: Allison and Jim kiss and walk back inside the house. If your mother/mother in-law is going off to prison - no matter how much she victimized your family - wouldn't it be a somber moment? This - like many other recent Lifetime movies - is a waste of everyone's time and a blemish on each cast member's acting portfolio.

After all these years, I find that the more creative Lifetime movies manage to have either no or low body counts. Obviously the first killing was absurd, but the second was absolutely ridiculous. This movie would have been better as a suspense/psych thriller with maybe the absolute last straw being attempting to eliminate the person who is perceived to cause all of her problems. The blackmail scene with the best friend was so stilted...and of course even though she did what the villain wanted, she still died. Anyway, the conversation where the friendship "ends," is just too obviously written for the plot point and wasn't as bold or open as early ones they had. I realize things have to happen for the movie to "work," but best friends would not just sit and take that. This happens constantly in these movies and the person ends up dying. Another ridiculous moment was an ex-gf coming to the house for dinner? Who does that? And then who stays? Then the husband (of course clueless like the majority of Lifetime husbands) embarrasses his wife when she comes home and sees him in appropriately with the ex. Absurd. Then the ex apparently has a terminal illness that's supposed to make the wife feel bad...but of course no one tells her. What a joke. You have to accept abnormal behavior in order to get through this movie. The villain also looked a good five years older than her "son" and his wife, so at first, I didn't even know who the MIL was. I have a love/hate relationship with Lifetime and will watch for weeks and then not watch for months. I expect exactly what we're meant to from these movies, but sometimes you wish they'd do things a bit differently. This movie definitely could have worked as a mind game. I like to compare these movies to the plot/storyline of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. That's a big screen movie, but it's a good revenge/psych thriller template with a villain that you "get." I wish more Lifetime movies were tv versions of that.

Very bad movie. No acting well just wasting ur time.

Barbara Williams who played Corey Haims mom in the the 80s monster movie Watchers, stars as the unhinged mother in this one. She doesn't take it well when she finds out her son is moving his family out of state for his wife's (Kristen Dalton) new promotion. His father supports their decision, which his wife finds that as betrayal and quickly dispatches him. She works her way into her son's home and quickly begins to do things against her daughter in law which escalates to murder. Good TV thriller

Horrific, and I don't say that lightly. 'Murder In-Law' is truly awful. It's interesting to note that this was released almost two months prior to 'Killer Grandma', also known as 'Killer In-Law'. That latter title is not the only similarity, as the majority of these films feels incredibly similar - perhaps an 'Antz'/'A Bug's Life' type of situation? I thoroughly enjoyed that other production, which tackles a similar premise but executes the plot way better; mainly thanks to Nana Visitor's performance. This misses a big performer, all of the acting is pretty poor and adds nothing. The writing et al. is just as bad. The characters act so stupidly, they all lack any awareness entirely. The whole viewing experience is painful, I was begging for the end credits from the very early stages, despite the short ~90 minute run time. Despite the dark nature of the story, the film shies away from most of the would-be entertaining/eye-catching moments. Like the concept? Check out 'Killer Grandma'. Otherwise, I'd suggest avoiding... unless you want to witness this in all its 'glory', of course.

Barbara Williams (Claire) gave a very compelling performance and her role was so real. This move is assured to keep you by the edge of your sit from the beginning to the end. I enjoyed watching it.

In this film, you don't want to crack a mother-in-law joke within earshot of Claire, the mother-in-law from hell. For the beleaguered daughter-in-law Allison, her marriage to mama's boy Jim has been a trial ever since the wedding, which was planned entirely by Claire and was not what Allison had in mind at all. For years, Allison has been reluctant to stand up for herself in the face of the super control freak mother-in-law. At the start of the film, Allison informs Claire that she, Jim, and little Sydney will be moving to New York, due to her promotion at work. This does not sit well for Claire, who promptly returns home, murders her husband, places him in the freezer, then moves in with Jim, Allison and Sydney, floating the story that "Pop Pop" ran off with Missy. The nightmare is about to begin. The film attempts to develop the theme of assertiveness and how Allison needs to become better at defining boundaries. But, in nearly all of the conversations, Allison is actually quite a good communicator. What else could one possibly say to a manipulative and diabolical con artist like Claire? In the various strands of the film Claire is able to pull the wool over the eyes of a police detective, blackmail Allison's best friend, drive a wedge between husband and wife, dupe the granddaughter into believing that "Pop Pop" grampa is a very bad man, and co-opt an old girlfriend of Jim into coming to dinner and renewing their old flame. Ol' Pop Pop never ran away with Missy in her Winnebago. On his last night on earth, Grampa took a little blue pill in expectation of pleasuring his demanding spouse. Instead, he was on the receiving end of a fatal push down the stairs. It is only due to the resolve of Allison that the cruel and calculating murder-in-law does not become Murder, Inc.

In most LMN movies I have seen, the men are basically clueless tools. In this movie, Jim continues that great tradition. He should take a ride on the clue bus. Mama's boy doesn't even begin to describe him and what an immature idiot he is. The plot stinks. Charlie, in real life, would have gotten together with Allison and told her what Claire had done. Could have cleared that one up in a hurry. We had high hopes for the girl (Alexann) who played Sidney. But, she was a weak actor in all of this. And the ridiculous frame-up attempt on Charlie's murder. Wow! And the foolish attempt to frame Allison. Don't waste your time on this POC.