Death in Small Doses (1995 TV Movie) User Reviews (5)

Not as simple as it seems

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 5 November 2019]

A woman in Texas dies after beingpoisoned. At first everything points to husband who had another woman. Flashbacks reveal things aren't that simple. There is an incestuous relationship and more complicating things. Richard Thomas plays hubby. Sandra Locke directs this complicated story quite well and makes sense of the details.

Worth watching

Disappointing - a total non-event !

[nicholas.rhodes · 5/10 · 28 August 2005]

I was expecting much better than this ! This one just plods along with minimal interest for the spectator and the end is a total wash-out. There's not enough spice in this plot to make even a mild curry, it's supposed to be based on a true story, I have no idea as to whether this is true, but whatever the case, there is nothing in the plot to grip the spectator's attention. The guilty party could have been one of several people, nothing enables one to opt for one or other possibility. The final decision is an arbitrary and emotionless one ! When you get to the end of this film, your only comment is " so THAT'S how it ends ! So what ?

Pain in Large Doses

[satyre · 1/10 · 29 January 2001]

Although supposedly based on actual incidents, this film "depicts an authentic case" in the same way that "Police Squad" depicts authentic investigative techniques. If this film at all accurately conveys the trial of Richard Lyons, then everyone involved should be disbarred.

It's hard to shine an accusatory spotlight on any one member of this cast, but Tess Harper, as Assistant D.A. Jerri Sims, looks particularly lost during the entire film. Not that she's given much to work with, mind you.

Sondra Locke's direction lacks focus. She hits every plotpoint with such heavy-handedness, that the viewer literally hears a "bum - bum - BAH" in their head as each one is revealed. This, coupled with the fact that she can't seem to decide just what this story is about, suggests she should apprentice a bit more at her craft.

Waste of my time

[ladonaladyartist · 1/10 · 12 March 2022]

Predictable the Writing, directing, acting, and Camera work was all disappointing. I like true crime stories but was not suspenseful at all. I love Tess but not in this !! Characters were all one note.

Disappointing

[lyons226 · 3/10 · 11 November 2006]

I found this TV movie disappointing, i did have high hopes for it at the start but found the end dismal at best. There were several other people who could have had sound motive to kill Nancy, yet these possibilities were readily dismissed by the police and the DA. With being so determined to convict the husband. Perhaps the intention was to leave issues unresolved that there was never any answer to what happened, with no real proof that Richard killed Nancy. With this movie being based on an actual trial, however it does seem to portray how some people are convicted with no real conclusive evidence. Having said this i did think Richard was the killer as he seemed so detached from Nancy's death and the concern he displayed for her life policy did seem a little fishy. Still the movie seemed all over the place to me and there wasn't really a resolution to the story as the viewer is left wondering if justice was done or if in fact her killer got away, or if Nancy did in fact kill herself.