Blackwater Lane – Movie Review (2/5)

BLACKWATER LANE is a new thriller with a murder mystery. It has a good cast and lots of potential, but ultimately it is very predictable. Read our full Blackwater Lane movie review here!

BLACKWATER LANE is a movie that is listed as being in the thriller and horror genres. However, it’s really more of a murder mystery with a thriller driver and a lot of mind games.

The movie has a good cast and lots of potential, but ultimately it is very predictable.

Continue reading our Blackwater Lane movie review below. Find it in theaters and on digital from June 21, 2024.

Supernatural or mind games?

In Blackwater Lane, we meet Cass (Minka Kelly) just before she witnesses a tragedy. On her way home, while rain is pouring down (as it does in England), she sees a woman sitting in a car on the side of a dangerous country road.

The woman appears to be dead, but Cass is nervous about getting out of the car and keeps driving instead. Following this harrowing experience, she begins to question her sanity. Especially as she seems to constantly be forgetting things and having blackouts.

However, could it be something supernatural as she fears? Or is someone plotting against her?! If it’s the latter, who would do such a thing and why?

That’s pretty much the story of Blackwater Lane and it’s one that could have been told better. What I did like was that it’s explained up front why the main characters all speak American English though the story plays out in the UK. I’ll give it points for that.

I won’t blame the cast

All the things that make Blackwater Lane a less accomplished movie than it could’ve been, have to do with the storytelling. I won’t blame the cast as they do deliver what they can with the material given.

At times, these actors must have gotten the feeling that the movie wasn’t turning out as well as it could have. Or, at the very least, question some of the dialogue or actions, their respective characters have.

In either case, Minka Kelly works well in the lead role. I’d actually like to see her in a bonafide horror movie, where she would be an excellent final girl.

We already know Maggie Grace is brilliant in genre productions. Most recently, she was in Fear the Walking Dead as “Althea” but she was also in the iconic genre hybrid series Lost. Also, she’s the daughter of Liam Neeson‘s character in the Taken franchise.

Finally, we have Dermot Mulroney as the husband of Minka Kelly’s character. Despite Dermot Mulroney still being a good-looking and charming man, I don’t care for this stereotypical 17-year age gap between the spouses.

Watch Blackwater Lane in theaters or on demand!

The director of Blackwater Lane is Jeff Celentano (Primary Suspect), and I can’t say I’m surprised that a man directed this. I’m more surprised that a woman, Elizabeth Fowler, wrote the screenplay. It’s the only screenplay credit for Fowler so far.

A scene where someone is making a move on Minka Kelly’s character shows her saying “I’m sorry” to him. She spends most of the movie talking about her husband every chance she gets, yet somehow she apologizes for not wanting to kiss another man?! Get outta here!

The movie is based on the book “The Breakdown” by B.A. Paris, who is also a woman. Whether that particular scene is in the book, I can’t tell you as I haven’t read it. And this movie didn’t make me want to.

Anyway, this movie has a PG-13 rating, which should tell you that the horror elements that are there, won’t be too scary. I would never describe this movie as a horror thriller. However, I recognize that it has scary moments, even jump scares, that are classic horror elements.

The runtime is 108 minutes, which is too long. When you’re watching a scene where two people are just looking at each other and it just drags on, you understand why the runtime is more than an hour and a half, which is what it should have been!

Blackwater Lane is out In Theaters and On Demand and Digital from June 21, 2024.

Details

Director: Jeff Celentano
Script: Elizabeth Fowler
Cast: Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace, Dermot Mulroney