Movie Review - Fatal Trust

Fatal Trust

2006

The Cast

This film actually surprised me by how good it was.  Now I'm not saying it's brilliant, I'm not!  Though for a daytime TV movie this is good fare.

Kate (Johnson) and her son have suffered the violent loss of a lover and father so she decides it's time to leave the city and head home, where her sister, Jessica (Alt), runs a diner.  As she's pulling into town, she passes an accident where a woman has died of a heart attack while driving.  As time passes, Kate begins to learn that this isn't the first heart attack in the small town.  Could her new boss, Dr Lucas (Haydn-Jones), be behind the deaths in some way(?)   So she sets out to find out the truth.

Here is the first thing I think could have been better.  It would have been a stronger storyline had we not been shown the killer at quite an early stage in the film.  Had the writer and director decided to make this into a whodunnit with lots of twists and red herrings this would have been a brilliant movie.  It wouldn't have been that difficult to do as the person who's playing the killer is so normal it would have been difficult to guess.

The other thing would be her relationship with her son.  There's just too little here.  At times, you even forget she's a mother.  Who know's there may be some of these scene's laying on the cutting room floor.  I just think it would have strengthened her character and added a few heartwarming and tearful scenes.  This, in turn, could have branched off a story arch where they, as a family, developed more - especially the climax, which was over a little too fast.  With an added threat to her son, the director could have ramped up the tension so the audience was on the edge of their seats.

Those are my only quirks as the film is well directed and acted throughout.  There is one scene which is especially great.  After killing an elderly resident, the killer sits back while sipping tea.  It's the exhale of their deep breath, the look of calm satisfaction, and the shudder of utter bliss, which gave me the shivers right down to the bone.

If you love your thrillers without the mystery element then I'd recommend this film to you.  It's an engrossing and entertaining way to waste an hour or two.

I give this a watchable 7 out of 10

The Trailer