*this article contains spoilers*
When I saw this weekend that Deadly Illusions was trending on Netflix, I thought I’d give it a shot. I hadn’t had time to watch a movie yet all year and I was in dire need of a study break.
I’m now going to provide a short list of things that would have been more enjoyable than watching this film:
- Reading an old phone book
- Doing my taxes
- Cleaning out the fridge
I’m not a professional film critic by any means, so bear in mind that I’m merely offering up my personal opinions.
Here’s the low down on the plot: Kristin Davis (of Sex and the City) plays the role of Mary – a wife, mother, and successful novelist who hires Grace, a mysterious young nanny (played by Greer Grammer), to help manage her children. As she writes about a murder plot in her latest book, Mary becomes infatuated with Grace and has trouble separating her life from her fiction. The movie is directed by Anna Elizabeth James, and is a psychological thriller with hints of sexual tension.
Sounds exciting, right?
Since there aren’t any plot twists in the movie, here’s one for you: it isn’t exciting. Instead, it’s a film that needs a reality check and a stern talking-to.
I’ve rounded up some evidence for why that’s the case.
Exhibit A: The LGBTQ+ angle swings…and misses
I was expecting to see a romantic relationship with depth develop between Mary and Grace. Instead, we’re given nothing but weird erotic scenes between the two – the majority of which are just fantasies in Mary’s mind. Of course, whatever ‘relationship’ was happening between the two women turns toxic by the end of the movie and Mary lives happily ever after with her husband. In the end, the queerness (if any) is underwhelming and feels a lot more like hot lesbian content for the male gaze than anything else.
Exhibit B: Shanola Hampton’s ‘supporting role’ is a slap in the face
If you watched the TV show Shameless, you’re probably familiar with Shanola and her first class talent as an actor. I’m a fan of hers, and she was a big factor in my decision to watch Deadly Illusions. After seeing her make an appearance in the movie for about a quarter of a millisecond, I’m just wondering: would it have been that hard to give Hampton more than three lines in a two hour film? Was it impossible to write her an actual character instead of an underdeveloped token Black friend role? Director James really embarrassed herself on this one.
Exhibit C: James really sat down to write this script and thought, ‘let’s perpetuate the idea that people with mental illness are scary and violent. It’s fine. People won’t care.’
People did care, though. And they have a lot to say about the way mental illness is represented in the movie. In case you were wondering where the ‘thriller’ part of the film is, cue the character of Grace transforming into a knife-wielding murderer with dissociative identity disorder (DID) who tries to kill Mary’s husband. I’m a psychology major, so it’s only natural that I hated this particular part of the movie. When it comes down to it, Deadly Illusions is just another film in a string of many[i] that portrays DID violently. In reality, recent research indicates that individuals with DID possess the greatest risk of harming themselves, and are considered low risk in terms of harming others. [ii] In choosing to represent DID this way, the film reinforces negative stereotypes that can affect the way the world addresses real people coping with mental illness.
So, there you have it, folks. A few of my hot takes on Deadly Illusions.
The final verdict? Pass. Hard pass.
But if you’re left questioning my criticisms, I encourage you not to take my word for it.
Instead, as a parting gift, consider this wonderfully titled review of the movie that I found: What Is Deadly Illusions, the Bizarre Netflix No. 1 “Erotic Thriller” About a Babysitter and a Horny Novelist?