Not With My Daughter (2014)

This was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, after reading the review. If it didn't have Ally Sheedy's name on it then I would've given it a miss. I'm glad I didn't.

As with ALL movies, there are good and bad points; in this movie, the good outweigh the bad.

On the whole, the acting was pretty good. I thought Ally Sheedy did a passable job in the lead role. The scene where she argues with her daughter and breaks down crying, while the teenage Abby (portrayed by Annie Clark) just stares at her with disdain was grating, as Sheedy does get a little bit high pitched. However, I liked the fact that Sheedy's character, Melissa, is a blowhard in court but is not so strong in other situations. This makes for a more realistic development through the film.

It was also nice to see Erik Knudsen as a strung out druggie accused of murder. I first saw him in Jericho and thought he would be a talent to watch for.

There are times when the writing and direction slips but generally both are sound. I did see the twists coming, but after reading and watching so many thrillers, I'd be upset if I didn't.

This is worth a watch if you see it on telly, though I wouldn't recommend spending any money on it.