The Killer Downstairs (TV Movie 2019) 4.7 out of 10 ⭐

 The Killer Downstairs  (TV Movie 2019) 4.7 out of 10 ⭐ 

Synopsis:

Alison Peters (Cindy Busby) is not having a great year. After graduating from law school, Alison only practiced law for a few short months. She was forced to leave her law firm by an abusive ex-boyfriend, and now she's having financial difficulties. Alison's working at a big box store, with her best friend, Sarah (Donna Benedicto), just so she won't lose her family home. Her current job just doesn't pay enough, and Alison decides she's going to rent out the basement suite in her house, to make ends meet.

At first, she's nervous about having total strangers under the same roof, but once her tenant arrives, she begins to relax. James Brewer (Marcus Rosner), her new lodger, is polite, gorgeous, and kind enough to pay in advance. The only problem? He was supposed to have a wife and child with him. James explains he just forgot to update his profile, when he separated from his wife Hannah. James's amiable nature quiets any apprehension Alison might have had about living under the same roof with a solitary man. He even saves her from an unfortunate encounter with her licentious boss. Alison's fortunes seem to be improving, she's even got a job offer from an old law school friend, Michael Hammond (Emy Aneke). But before she can enjoy her good fortune, two detectives, Detective Fitzgerald (Josh Byer) and Detective Reynolds (Alison Araya) show up to question Alison about a murder.

Brandon Matthews (Benjamin Wilkinson), Alison's dishonorable boss, was set alight in a dumpster, the night before. To make matters worse, there are texts that appear to be from Alison, luring Brandon to his fate. Thankfully, she has an alibi. She was dining with Michael (Emy Aneke), her old law school chum, and has plenty of witnesses. Both Alison and the police are perplexed. Who would want to kill Brandon, and frame Alison for the crime? Can Alison discover the predator in her midst in time to save herself?

WHAT WORKS:

*THE ACTING IS ALL ABOVE AVERAGE

The acting in this movie is well above average. Cindy Busby and Marcus Rosner, do a great job as Alison and James. Thney are well cast too. Benjamin Wilkinson also does a fine job as Brandon, Alison's smarmy boss.

*THE MOVIE IS PACED VERY WELL Everything happens, and moves along in a way that keeps the viewer interested. There aren't any slow spots, or lags.

*EXCELLENT TRAILER

The trailer is very well done, and doesn't give a way too much. If you're interested in watching, definitely give the trailer a spin.

*THIS MOVIE IS VERY WELL SHOT That's not something I often say when describing made-for-tv movies. But kudos to director Tony Dean Smith, and cinematographer Mike Kam.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK:

*ANY WOMAN LIVING ALONE, AND RENTING OUT HER BASEMENT, WOULD ALREADY HAVE LOCKS ON THE BASEMENT DOOR. Alison let's a strange man move into her house, and there's NO LOCK on the door to the basement suite. NO WOMAN WOULD DO THAT (this is how you can instantly tell this is written by men, Tony Dean Smith and Adam Hussein need a woman advisor).

Emy Aneke as
Michael Hammond

*MICHAEL IS SUPPOSED TO BE A RED HERRING, BUT IT DOESN'T WORK

Michael (Emy Aneke) is too nice a guy, for him to be suspect. Because he's a good actor, and portrays his character well, his fate is bothersome, and needlessly bloody. His attack could have still happened, just with a different outcome.

*WHY DOES ALISON SUSPECT MICHAEL, AND NOT JAMES? Don't give me this crap that it's because she's attracted to him. I can tell this is written by men, before even looking, because this is NOT how women behave. It's certainly not how a woman, who just got out of an abusive relationship, would behave. She would be suspicious, and standoffish, of all men. The writers, Tony Dean Smith and Adam Hussein, should have asked a woman about women's motivations, before finishing great script.

*THE WHOLE DAMN MOVIE IS TOO VIOLENT This is a thriller, and a melodrama, but there's a lot of needless overkill, and it just doesn't work. It bothers me everytime I see it, and that means it's a fail. Having the outcomes of the confrontations be less bloody, and having more people survive, would have served the plot in the same way,  and made the movie more enjoyable. There's no need for it. The opening scene, where James (Marcus Rosner) is digging a grave, and what happens to Alison's boss, is enough.

*IN THIS LITIGIOUS SOCIETY, ALISON WOULD NOT LET HER BOSS SEXUALLY HARASS HER I get that Alison is supposed to be kind of a doormat, (that's why she was forced out of her last job) but EVERY woman in the place has had a run in with Brandon (Benjamin Wilkinson). I doubt she would let him try to cheat her best friend out of a deserved job, simply because she has money problems. She's a lawyer! She would sue for an unsafe work environment, and with all the other women he's harassed, she would win! She wouldn't even have to get a lawyer to sue, because she is a lawyer. Money problems solved!

Benjamin Wilkinson as
Brandon Matthews

*THE COPS WOULD SUSPECT EVERY WOMAN BRANDON EVER HARASSED, AND EVER BOYFRIEND AND HUSBAND, OF EVERY WOMAN HE HARASSED, OF HIS MURDER They wouldn't fixated on some tiny woman with the history of being a doormat. They also wouldn't come at a lawyer all "bad cop," because they'd want her cooperation. Being a lawyer, she'd demand to know what's going on, BEFORE she answered questions. I don't have a problem with the cops questioning her, it's just the way it's written. 

Cindy Busby as
Alison Peters

*ALISON'S PHONE RECORDS WOULD CORROBORATE SHE DIDN'T TEXT BRANDON AND A SPOOF WAS USED

The cops would check that out BEFORE they questioned her. Much like lawyers, cops don't like to ask a question, they don't already know the answer to.

*THE COPS WOULD NOT SUSPECT A VAGRANT OF BRANDON'S MURDER The cops find Brandon's phone, with texts from someone pretending to be Alison, and lighter fluid, on a drunken vagrant (Miles Ellis). This would suggest he found these things AFTER the murder. He has no motive, and no means to know Alison's name, much less a means to pretend he's her. I'M SO SICK OF STUPID POLICE AS A PLOT DEVICE! Cops are not stupid! Stop writing them that way!

Marcus Rosner as
James Brewer

*JAMES KIDNAPS MICHAEL, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, IN FRONT OF BUILDING WITH TONS OF WINDOWS, AND PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT Not to mention the fact, he does this as Alison has driven away 15sec earlier. She'd see the assault in her rearview mirror. It's just ASININE!

*IT'S LUDICROUS ALISON WOULDN'T TELL THE POLICE SHE'S SUSPICIOUS OF JAMES, AFTER SARAH'S BEEN KIDNAPPED She decides she's going to investigate for herself, which is out of character. All women would tell the police after their best friend is kidnapped. Also, her investigation leads her to open laptops, showing feeds to hidden cameras. James would never be so stupid as to leave those out in the open.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:

*There are some things here that needed adjustment, but overall, for a made-for-tv melodrama, it ain't bad. If you're a fan of made-for-tv thrillers, this is a mostly enjoyable ride. The overkill is the only thing keeping it from reaching a higher score. Still, if you need to turn your brain off for a couple of hours, this movie will do the trick. Pop that corn, and enjoy! 

For more info on the movie, including images, videos, filming locations, actor/actress info etc, visit The Lifetime Movies Wiki's The Killer Downstairs page (I'm the creator & admin)