Deadly Illusions

Last updated
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Illusions film poster.png
Official release poster
Directed byAnna Elizabeth James
Written byAnna Elizabeth James
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMike McMillin
Edited byF. Brian Scofield
Music by Drum & Lace
Production
companies
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • March 18, 2021 (2021-03-18)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Deadly Illusions is a 2021 American erotic thriller film written and directed by Anna Elizabeth James and starring Kristin Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Greer Grammer, and Shanola Hampton. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

Mary Morrison, a successful author of thriller novels, is happily married to Tom with two young children. Her publisher, asking her to write another book, offers a two million dollar advance; she initially declines but has to accept after Tom says he lost half of their estate on a risky investment. Mary's friend Elaine suggests hiring a nanny to help with the kids as she writes and, after a few interviews, she employs Grace.

Mary has writer's block and uses her blossoming friendship with Grace to inspire her. Mary then starts having what appears to be sexual fantasies about Grace. She also seems to dream about Grace and Tom engaging in sexual activity in the kitchen, but cannot tell if it is real or her vivid imagination. Confronting them both at the dinner table in a tearful rage, she upsets the children and causes a divide between her and Grace.

The following morning, Mary apologizes to Grace, saying her outburst was the result of working too hard. She then calls the nanny agency to ask why they haven't cashed her check yet, and they tell her it's because she hasn't gotten back to them about her choice of a nanny. Mary asks if they have a nanny called Grace in their service and they say no.

Mary goes to see Elaine and finds her dead with a pair of scissors in her neck. Contacting the police, to her surprise and horror, she learns she is the main suspect. The police reveal there is a great deal of incriminating evidence, including a video of what appears to be Mary arriving at Elaine's house, although her face is obscured with a headscarf and sunglasses, and her latest book has a murder with scissors.

Mary then travels to Grace's hometown, visiting her aunt, who reveals Grace had been abused by her parents as a child, and herself also exhibiting odd behavior. Mary calls Tom to warn him about Grace but he does not answer. At home, he is in the shower when Grace walks in dressed in lingerie and brandishing a large knife. She continuously switches from her usual sweet, soft-toned self to a violent seducer with a deep voice. As she attacks Tom, Mary arrives home. Grace claims to not know what happened, repeatedly saying, "I couldn't stop her." Grace suffers from dissociative identity disorder, and her other identity "Margaret" is who attacked Tom. Mary eventually knocks Grace unconscious.

One year later, Mary and her family are together. Mary takes the finished manuscript of her new book to Elaine's grave and leaves it there, as it was Elaine who encouraged her to start writing again. She then goes to visit Grace in a mental hospital. The film ends with "Mary" leaving the hospital, her face obscured by a headscarf and sunglasses, as in the police video of Elaine's killer.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2019. [4]

Release

The film was released on March 18, 2021, by Netflix. [5] It was the most-watched film on the platform in its first weekend. [6]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 21% based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10. [7] Rachel Willis of UK Film Review wrote, "This movie wants to keep us guessing, but it's never enticing enough to make much of an impact." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Davis</span> American actress (born 1965)

Kristin Landen Davis is an American actress and producer. She is known for playing Charlotte York Goldenblatt in the HBO romantic comedy series Sex and the City (1998–2004). She received nominations at the Emmys and the Golden Globes in 2004 for her role as Charlotte, and reprised the role in the films Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010), as well as the revival of the show And Just Like That... (2021–present) on Max.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Keener</span> American actress (born 1959)

Catherine Ann Keener is an American actress. She has portrayed disgruntled and melancholic yet sympathetic women in independent films, as well as supporting roles in studio films. She has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for Being John Malkovich (1999) and for her portrayal of author Harper Lee in Capote (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dermot Mulroney</span> American actor (b. 1963)

Dermot Patrick Mulroney is an American actor and cellist. He is known for his roles in romantic comedy, western, and drama films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Bibb</span> American actress

Leslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in Private Parts. Her first recurring TV role was in The Big Easy (1997). For her role as Brooke McQueen on the WB Network dramedy series Popular, she received a Teen Choice Award for Television Choice Actress. She has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Christine Everhart in Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), What If...? (2021), and several viral marketing campaigns in which the character hosts WHIH Newsfront. She appeared as Grace Sampson / Lady Liberty in the Netflix series Jupiter's Legacy (2021). Bibb starred in the 2012 television series GCB and in the 2024 television series Palm Royale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Greer</span> American actress (born 1975)

Judith Therese Evans, known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for her supporting roles in the films Jawbreaker (1999), What Women Want (2000), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Elizabethtown (2005), 27 Dresses (2008), and Love & Other Drugs (2010).

Samantha is a 1991 American film starring actress Martha Plimpton. Though at the time Plimpton was already a film actress for nearly ten years, this was the first vehicle in which she was the star. The film co-starred Dermot Mulroney, Hector Elizondo, Mary Kay Place and Ione Skye. It was a commercial failure, with mixed critical reviews.

Kandace Greer Grammer is an American actress and former beauty queen. She is best known for her role as Lissa Miller in the MTV series Awkward and for her role in the 2021 Netflix-released film Deadly Illusions.

<i>Careful What You Wish For</i> (film) 2015 film by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum

Careful What You Wish For is a 2015 American erotic thriller film directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, and starring Nick Jonas, Isabel Lucas, Graham Rogers, and Dermot Mulroney. The film was released on June 10, 2016, by Starz Digital. Its plot is heavily inspired by the 1981 film Body Heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voltage Pictures</span> American film production and distribution company

Voltage Pictures is an American film production and distribution company founded by Nicolas Chartier in 2005. It has assembled over 180 motion pictures, earning the company a total of two Golden Globe Awards and nine Academy Awards.

Johnson's theater credits include A Bronx Tale and The Band's Visit (musical),. The Band's Visit was the recipient of 10 wins of its 11 nominations at the 72nd Tony Awards on June 10, 2018, including the Tony Award for Best Musical.

<i>I Still See You</i> (film) 2018 American supernatural film

I Still See You is a 2018 American supernatural mystery thriller film, directed by Scott Speer, from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs and based on the novel Break My Heart 1000 Times by Daniel Waters. It stars Bella Thorne, Richard Harmon and Dermot Mulroney.

<i>SAS: Red Notice</i> 2021 film by Magnus Martens

SAS: Red Notice is a 2021 British action thriller film directed by Magnus Martens, based on the novel of the same name by Andy McNab, and starring Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper, Noel Clarke, Owain Yeoman, Ray Panthaki, Anne Reid and Tom Wilkinson in his final film role. Sky Cinema released SAS: Red Notice in the United Kingdom on 12 March 2021. SAS: Red Notice was Noel Clarke's final feature film acting performance before his retirement from acting in 2021.

<i>The Courier</i> (2019 film) 2019 film

The Courier is a 2019 action thriller film directed by Zackary Adler, from a screenplay by Andy Conway and Nicky Tate. It stars Olga Kurylenko, Gary Oldman, Amit Shah, Alicia Agneson, Greg Orvis, Craig Conway, William Moseley and Dermot Mulroney.

<i>Holidate</i> 2020 romantic comedy film by John Whitesell

Holidate is a 2020 American romantic comedy film directed by John Whitesell, from a screenplay by Tiffany Paulsen. It stars Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Jake Manley, Jessica Capshaw, Andrew Bachelor, Frances Fisher, Manish Dayal and Kristin Chenoweth. The film was released on Netflix on October 28, 2020.

<i>365 Days</i> (2020 film) 2020 erotic thriller film

365 Days is a 2020 Polish erotic thriller film directed by Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes. Based on the first novel of a trilogy by Blanka Lipińska, the plot follows a young Warsaw woman in a relationship falling for a Sicilian man, who imprisons and imposes on her a period of 365 days for her to fall in love with him.

Odessa Zion Segall Adlon, also known as Odessa A'zion, is an American actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the CBS series Fam (2019) and the Netflix series Grand Army (2020). Her films include Hellraiser (2022), The Inhabitant (2022) and Sitting in Bars with Cake (2023).

<i>Umma</i> (2022 film) 2022 American horror film

Umma is a 2022 American supernatural horror film, written and directed by Iris K. Shim. The film stars Sandra Oh, Fivel Stewart, MeeWha Alana Lee, Tom Yi, Odeya Rush, and Dermot Mulroney. Sam Raimi serves as a producer on the film. The film follows Amanda (Oh), a single mother who lives with her daughter in an isolated farm being haunted by her mother's ghost.

<i>The Blazing World</i> (film) 2021 film by Carlson Young

The Blazing World is a 2021 American fantasy horror-thriller film written and directed by Carlson Young and co-written by Pierce Brown. The film stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, Young and Edith González in her final film role before her death in 2019. The film is loosely inspired by Margaret Cavendish's 1666 work of the same name. In 2018, Young wrote, directed and starred in the short film of the same name, prior to expanding the basis and ideas for the full-length film. It is the first in a planned trilogy of films entitled Saturn Returns.

<i>Agent Game</i> 2022 American film by Grant S. Johnson

Agent Game is a 2022 American spy action-thriller film directed by Grant S. Johnson and written by Mike Langer and producer Tyler W. Konney. It stars Dermot Mulroney, Adan Canto, Katie Cassidy, Annie Ilonzeh, Rhys Coiro, Barkhad Abdi, Jason Isaacs, and Mel Gibson. Filming took place in Augusta, Georgia, from March to April 2021.

<i>The Wonder</i> (film) 2022 film by Sebastián Lelio

The Wonder is a 2022 period psychological drama film directed by Sebastián Lelio. Emma Donoghue, Lelio, and Alice Birch wrote the screenplay based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Donoghue. Set shortly after the Great Famine, it follows an English nurse sent to a rural Irish village to observe a young 'fasting girl', who is seemingly able to miraculously survive without eating. Florence Pugh leads an ensemble cast that includes Tom Burke, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy, Dermot Crowley, Brían F. O'Byrne, David Wilmot, Ruth Bradley, Caolán Byrne, Josie Walker, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones, and Kíla Lord Cassidy.

References

  1. ↑ Squires, John (June 24, 2020). "Voltage Shares First Look at Anna Elizabeth James-Directed Thriller 'Deadly Illusions'". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  2. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (June 16, 2020). "Voltage launches Cannes sales on 'Deadly Illusions' with Kristin Davis (exclusive)". Screen Daily . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  3. ↑ Geisinger, Gabriella (March 18, 2021). "Sex and the City star's erotic thriller Deadly Illusions' twist ending explained". Digital Spy . Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  4. ↑ Gomez, Adrian (December 18, 2020). "Picking up the pace: NM actress Melissa Chambers getting auditions as 2 films near release". Albuquerque Journal . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  5. ↑ McHugh, Erin (February 24, 2021). "Everything coming and leaving Netflix in March 2021". WUSA . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  6. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (March 22, 2021). "On the Netflix Chart, It's Like the Oscar Nominations Never Happened". IndieWire . Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Deadly Illusions (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  8. ↑ Rachel, Willis (2 June 2021). "Deadly Illusions film review". UK Film Review.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.