This movie was not garbage but, it is probably worth skipping or waiting for Netflix. You know when someone tells you a story about something crazy that happened to them and they hit the high points to get to the point and, in the end it doesn't sound that exciting at all? Sure, you nod along because you see how that could be hard or they should be upset but you feel you missed something along the way. This movie hit the high points. The emotion didn't transfer. The story makes sense. The acting is decent and the story plays out the way the trailer leads you to believe it would. There are a few moments of confusion when Darcy (Joan Allen) starts to imagine what would happen if this secret were exposed but, in the end you figure what was and what wasn't and, just generally leave with a feeling of, okay well, it is what it is.
109 Reviews
Despite a fine cast this one flounders
MattyGibbs28 November 2016
A wife's seemingly good marriage disintegrates after she uncovers her husbands dark secret.This is a glossy thriller not unlike the plethora of them produced in the 1980's and 1990's.
The casting is good with Anthony Lapaglia suitably charming and dangerous at the same time. Joan Allen has the more difficult role as the wife struggling to come to terms with her husbands deceptions. She really shines here showing just the right amount of vulnerability mixed with strength.
Despite the by the numbers plot this still manages to be a fairly entertaining for the first half at least at which point it goes downhill to reach a disappointing climax.
This is a distinctly average production and one that won't live long in the memory.
The casting is good with Anthony Lapaglia suitably charming and dangerous at the same time. Joan Allen has the more difficult role as the wife struggling to come to terms with her husbands deceptions. She really shines here showing just the right amount of vulnerability mixed with strength.
Despite the by the numbers plot this still manages to be a fairly entertaining for the first half at least at which point it goes downhill to reach a disappointing climax.
This is a distinctly average production and one that won't live long in the memory.
It may not be the worst King adaptation, but it still feels lazy
trublu2151 February 2015
A Good Marriage is the latest Stephen King adaptation to hit the film realm and it does so with a splat. Bland direction, hollowed performances and a lazy script propel A Good Marriage from being apart from the rest and instead it sits happily between Sleeping with the Enemy and Cape Fear. The film stars Anthony Lapaglia and Joan Allen as a happily married couple that have their lives turned upside down when the husband is discovered to be a serial killer. This film isn't a terrible film in the least. It is cliché, cookie cutter cinema rehashing what other better films have done in the past. There is nothing new to the story and honestly, it doesn't even seem like King's work. It is lazily written as if it this were meant as a made for TV movie with a slightly bigger budget and a bit more violence and language. Despite some of these negative aspects, the film is still silly entertaining fun. This is a midnight movie type, it isn't good, it isn't bad. It is a film wallowing in mediocrity and it seems to be okay with that.
Highly overrated
wilsonganks3 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Watched the movie when I saw it rated 8 over 10. Most movie at this rating is fantastic to the least but this one here, somebody must've clicked wrongly. The movie was plain, not even close to scary. It's just a regular life murder movie. Yes, the movie was unpredictable as I expected a twist in the plot but no, it is really as you think it is. There nothing more to it. When the show ended, I though, what? So no, not 8, to most, give you another extra star, a 4 is being very kind to you.
The acting wasn't bad, but it's really odd how the movie ended with how years of love, could be destroyed with one kill just because of fear. It is as though she(Darcy) has some kind of mental illness as well that she displays no empathy. And also, all of a sudden, she was such a skillful person to kill and leave nothing behind to be traced.
The acting wasn't bad, but it's really odd how the movie ended with how years of love, could be destroyed with one kill just because of fear. It is as though she(Darcy) has some kind of mental illness as well that she displays no empathy. And also, all of a sudden, she was such a skillful person to kill and leave nothing behind to be traced.
Stephen King once again proves that reality is the most terrifying thing of all.
cosmo_tiger16 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"She knew nothing." Darcy (Allen) and Bob (LaPaglia) have been married for 25 years and are extremely happy. When Bob is gone on business Darcy begins looking around for her stashes of chocolate. What she finds is the missing ID for a woman that was recently killed by a serial killer. Coming to grips with the fact that her perfect husband is an evil being she isn't sure how to react. The reason that Stephen King is known as the master of horror is because the things he writes about are realistic enough for you to think this could happen to me. This movie is no exception. An ordinary loving couple that seem perfect at first but then a dangerous secret is discovered and everything changes. There is not a crazed killer in a mask attacking people at random, nor are there people being dismembered just for effect. This one is terrifying because the killer could be someone you know and if that's the case how would you deal with it. Especially knowing that if you are married to a serial killer will the police really believe you had no idea what was going on? Like any good King story this one keeps on on edge and you aren't sure if what you are seeing is real or imagined. The only real downside to this is that it had the feel of a made for TV movie. Other than that I have to say this is worth seeing. Overall, Stephen King once again proves that reality is the most terrifying thing of all. I give this a B+.
Glorified Lifetime Movie...
MovieHoliks20 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I haven't seen a new movie based on Stephen King material in awhile, and saw this off Netflix, so I thought I'd give this a go. I noticed it's pretty new- a 2014 film- yet absolutely have no memory of it being released in theaters. Overall, it's a major let-down.
Looking into this further, I read at Wikipedia that Stephen King based his book on the Dennis Rader AKA The "BTK Killer". I even read that Rader's daughter was opposed to King doing so, saying she didn't want him to be profiting off the victims. Well, that being said, if you want to see a much better film about BTK (there are at least 3 or 4 others), I would recommend watching the made-for-CBS TV movie called "Hunt for the BTK Killer" starring Robert Forster. It's a "CSI"-style show, with a compelling performance by Gregg Henry as Rader.
This movie isn't much more than a Lifetime Movie Network film; a BTK story from the wife's perspective, and really didn't find much interesting or compelling about this piece at all.
Looking into this further, I read at Wikipedia that Stephen King based his book on the Dennis Rader AKA The "BTK Killer". I even read that Rader's daughter was opposed to King doing so, saying she didn't want him to be profiting off the victims. Well, that being said, if you want to see a much better film about BTK (there are at least 3 or 4 others), I would recommend watching the made-for-CBS TV movie called "Hunt for the BTK Killer" starring Robert Forster. It's a "CSI"-style show, with a compelling performance by Gregg Henry as Rader.
This movie isn't much more than a Lifetime Movie Network film; a BTK story from the wife's perspective, and really didn't find much interesting or compelling about this piece at all.
Interesting Moral Dilemma of Not Truly Knowing Someone
Reviews_of_the_Dead15 April 2020
This was a film that I picked up on DVD a couple years after it came out as I remember reading the short story from King and really liking it. The first time I've watched it though was on Prime when my girlfriend Jaime as she thought it sounded good and I never pass up a chance to see a movie she's interested in. The synopsis here is after 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy (Joan Allen) do once she discovers her husband's sinister secret?
We start this movie at a party where Bob Anderson (Anthony LaPaglia) is given an award. He does taxes and he's one of the best that works for Bill Gaines (Mike O'Malley). Also at this party is his wife Darcy, their daughter Petra (Kristen Connolly), her fiancé Vince Dorne (Will Rogers) and their son Donnie (Theo Stockman). Betty Pike (Cara Buono) who is best friends with Darcy is also in attendance. She's pretty drunk and is upset about a serial killer that is stalking the New England area.
The married couple goes home to celebrate some more. We get to see what feels like a routine for the two when they make love. Bob does have a bit of a wandering eye as he sees Betty from his window kissing someone in her garage. He's called back by his wife and as they get intimate.
They seem like a normal happy family, but there's a man who much later we learn is named Holt Ramsey (Stephen Lang). He was at the party in the beginning, watching them and is also been staking out the house.
Bob is into collecting rare antique coins and does a lot of traveling to try to find more as well as for work. Darcy is watching television and a graphic horror movie is on. She's freaked out, but the remote won't work. She goes out to the garage to try to find a new battery. She knocks over a magazine to find some she's been looking for. She also discovers that her husband has a fetish she didn't know about. There's something much more sinister hiding behind the boxes. There's a nook with a little box that contains an ID of the recently found murdered woman along with a couple other cards with her name on it.
Is her husband is this notorious serial killer named Beadie. Darcy has to decide what she will do next. He calls her and notices that she's been crying. There's not a lot of time and a lot has to be considered and makes you think, what would you do if you were in her position?
I knew coming in that I had read this King short story as I believe at the time of writing this is the last book of his shorts that has come out. This one intrigued me that King based this off of the BTK Killer, who also lived a double life where his family and church had no idea what he was doing. Now that one plays out differently than the real life story. What I like is the moral dilemma this poses which that sparked conversation between Jaime and I afterwards. I don't recall the story playing out like the film does as from what I remember, it ends pretty soon after Darcy finds the secret. I could be wrong there though.
Now I really want to delve into what you'd do if you discovered your significant other is a murderer. There's the moral obligation to turn them in, because if you don't, they could continue to kill and that would be on you as an accomplice. On the other side, like in the case here, Darcy and Bob have been married for 25 years. They have two successful children that have lives of their own. This could set a domino of effects that could ruin them, even though they had nothing to do with it. When I asked Jaime, she straight away said she'd turn me in. I played devil's advocate, but I probably would to.
There's another layer to this in that Bob has gotten away with what's he has been doing for so long that he has to be a master manipulator. The lines that he feeds to his wife, make her wonder if she can trust him to do what he promises he will. There's also that fear in the back of her mind that you can't fully trust them after the betrayal of being kept in the dark for so long.
Shifting this over to the pacing, it runs 102 minutes long. I never got bored with it, so I didn't really have any issues there. I do think that there probably was a bit that could have been cut from it to get it down to 90 minutes to be honest. I'm going by the old adage here that the first 90 are free and you need to convince me for anything over that. There's a bit of filler in my eyes to trim from it. I do like where it ends up and how this ordeal changes Darcy.
Speaking of which, the acting of this movie I thought was good. This is really a vehicle for Allen as our lead with LaPaglia there as a secondary, but important driver to the story. Allen's performance as Darcy was good. I feel horrible for her with what she discovers and coming to terms with what she has to do in order to survive. She also has to keep in mind her children as she's a really good mother. I do see shade of my mother in her to be honest. LaPaglia I thought was good as well. He establishes the norm for his character and then we get to see the darkside of it. That works very well for me. Lang, Buono, Connolly and the rest of the cast do round this out for what was needed as well in shaping these two stars.
That will take me to the effects of the movie which there really aren't a lot actually. The only time I can think is at the climax of the movie where Darcy comes to terms with what she has to do. There are pictures of the victims from Beadie, which they did a really good job with making them look realistic. We do get Darcy having to deal with things in her mind that we see play out. That did work for me and I'd say that the cinematography was solid as well.
Now with that said, this is a movie that poses an interesting question of what you'd do in this person's position. It also shows us something that really did happen and that we truly don't know someone like we think we do. The movie does run a bit long, but not enough to ruin what we got or get boring. I thought he acting was good. We don't get a lot in the way of effects, but we also don't necessarily need them. The soundtrack didn't really stand out to me and it also didn't hurt the movie either. They do use a lot of older songs that fit more to our main characters when they younger. Overall though I'd say this is an above average movie in my opinion. I'd recommend this for horror and non-horror fans alike as well.
We start this movie at a party where Bob Anderson (Anthony LaPaglia) is given an award. He does taxes and he's one of the best that works for Bill Gaines (Mike O'Malley). Also at this party is his wife Darcy, their daughter Petra (Kristen Connolly), her fiancé Vince Dorne (Will Rogers) and their son Donnie (Theo Stockman). Betty Pike (Cara Buono) who is best friends with Darcy is also in attendance. She's pretty drunk and is upset about a serial killer that is stalking the New England area.
The married couple goes home to celebrate some more. We get to see what feels like a routine for the two when they make love. Bob does have a bit of a wandering eye as he sees Betty from his window kissing someone in her garage. He's called back by his wife and as they get intimate.
They seem like a normal happy family, but there's a man who much later we learn is named Holt Ramsey (Stephen Lang). He was at the party in the beginning, watching them and is also been staking out the house.
Bob is into collecting rare antique coins and does a lot of traveling to try to find more as well as for work. Darcy is watching television and a graphic horror movie is on. She's freaked out, but the remote won't work. She goes out to the garage to try to find a new battery. She knocks over a magazine to find some she's been looking for. She also discovers that her husband has a fetish she didn't know about. There's something much more sinister hiding behind the boxes. There's a nook with a little box that contains an ID of the recently found murdered woman along with a couple other cards with her name on it.
Is her husband is this notorious serial killer named Beadie. Darcy has to decide what she will do next. He calls her and notices that she's been crying. There's not a lot of time and a lot has to be considered and makes you think, what would you do if you were in her position?
I knew coming in that I had read this King short story as I believe at the time of writing this is the last book of his shorts that has come out. This one intrigued me that King based this off of the BTK Killer, who also lived a double life where his family and church had no idea what he was doing. Now that one plays out differently than the real life story. What I like is the moral dilemma this poses which that sparked conversation between Jaime and I afterwards. I don't recall the story playing out like the film does as from what I remember, it ends pretty soon after Darcy finds the secret. I could be wrong there though.
Now I really want to delve into what you'd do if you discovered your significant other is a murderer. There's the moral obligation to turn them in, because if you don't, they could continue to kill and that would be on you as an accomplice. On the other side, like in the case here, Darcy and Bob have been married for 25 years. They have two successful children that have lives of their own. This could set a domino of effects that could ruin them, even though they had nothing to do with it. When I asked Jaime, she straight away said she'd turn me in. I played devil's advocate, but I probably would to.
There's another layer to this in that Bob has gotten away with what's he has been doing for so long that he has to be a master manipulator. The lines that he feeds to his wife, make her wonder if she can trust him to do what he promises he will. There's also that fear in the back of her mind that you can't fully trust them after the betrayal of being kept in the dark for so long.
Shifting this over to the pacing, it runs 102 minutes long. I never got bored with it, so I didn't really have any issues there. I do think that there probably was a bit that could have been cut from it to get it down to 90 minutes to be honest. I'm going by the old adage here that the first 90 are free and you need to convince me for anything over that. There's a bit of filler in my eyes to trim from it. I do like where it ends up and how this ordeal changes Darcy.
Speaking of which, the acting of this movie I thought was good. This is really a vehicle for Allen as our lead with LaPaglia there as a secondary, but important driver to the story. Allen's performance as Darcy was good. I feel horrible for her with what she discovers and coming to terms with what she has to do in order to survive. She also has to keep in mind her children as she's a really good mother. I do see shade of my mother in her to be honest. LaPaglia I thought was good as well. He establishes the norm for his character and then we get to see the darkside of it. That works very well for me. Lang, Buono, Connolly and the rest of the cast do round this out for what was needed as well in shaping these two stars.
That will take me to the effects of the movie which there really aren't a lot actually. The only time I can think is at the climax of the movie where Darcy comes to terms with what she has to do. There are pictures of the victims from Beadie, which they did a really good job with making them look realistic. We do get Darcy having to deal with things in her mind that we see play out. That did work for me and I'd say that the cinematography was solid as well.
Now with that said, this is a movie that poses an interesting question of what you'd do in this person's position. It also shows us something that really did happen and that we truly don't know someone like we think we do. The movie does run a bit long, but not enough to ruin what we got or get boring. I thought he acting was good. We don't get a lot in the way of effects, but we also don't necessarily need them. The soundtrack didn't really stand out to me and it also didn't hurt the movie either. They do use a lot of older songs that fit more to our main characters when they younger. Overall though I'd say this is an above average movie in my opinion. I'd recommend this for horror and non-horror fans alike as well.
Not worthy of the King name
jtindahouse17 March 2015
I was disappointed to read that the screenplay for this was actually written by Stephen King himself. I was entirely ready to chastise whoever had adapted his novella because, ironically, it felt nothing like a King movie whatsoever. Compared to another 2014 King adaption from the same collection of short stories 'Big Driver', which had King's signatures written all over it, this just came across flat, uninspired and lazy. The theme of both of those films is 'Girl Power' but only one truly encapsulated it for me and it certainly wasn't this one.
The main problem that comes to mind over this film is just how dull it is. The casting choices are about as uninspired as you'll ever get, the script just drags on and on and there are enough "it's all a dream" moments for a decades worth of movies let alone one. The character of Bob would have to be the most boring serial killer I've ever seen in a movie. There was absolutely no edge to the character and even the stalking scenes just don't feel the least bit threatening. All of this does unfortunately come back to the script written by King. The man can write a fine book but maybe he should leave the screenplays alone for the time being.
The main problem that comes to mind over this film is just how dull it is. The casting choices are about as uninspired as you'll ever get, the script just drags on and on and there are enough "it's all a dream" moments for a decades worth of movies let alone one. The character of Bob would have to be the most boring serial killer I've ever seen in a movie. There was absolutely no edge to the character and even the stalking scenes just don't feel the least bit threatening. All of this does unfortunately come back to the script written by King. The man can write a fine book but maybe he should leave the screenplays alone for the time being.
A Good Marriage? (Warning: Possible spoilers ahead)
marshallfg29 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I'll start off by saying I'm a huge Stephen King fan - always have been; always will be. But I haven't rushed to see "A Good Marriage" because the reviews haven't been great. But it was the sheer ordinariness of this movie that sent chills up my spine. It made me think of Hannah Arendt's coverage of the Eichmann trials and musings on the banality of evil. Most of us aren't shocked when a criminal is rounded up who looks like Charles Manson and has a troubled past. But what do we make of the criminal who has no criminal past, looks like the classic "boy/girl next door", and was class valedictorian? The Ted Bundys of the world? Okay, so the beginning was a bit of a snooze fest. I kept thinking to myself, "Normal, hard-working people, happy family, solid marriage - I get it already." I honestly wasn't expecting a lot from this movie. I love Stephen King, but I had heard that A "Good Marriage" lacked the requisite Stephen King signature staples, like rotting, talking corpses, telepathic powers, killer cars, etc. And though the main theme was an interesting idea, it didn't break any new ground. I mean, a woman discovers her husband isn't what she thought he was...been there, done that. Story of my life. At best, a sure contender for the Lifetime Channel. But it was the sheer mundane-ness of this movie that made it so intriguing and ultimately disturbing.
I could emotionally relate to Darcy as she discovered that her husband was the infamous Beadie, but what intrigued me even more was her response.
Darcy's final conversation with a guy obsessed with tracking down Beadie was poignant. Here, he's spent a huge chunk of his life chasing down a serial killer only to be forced to reexamine his own life and learn that things aren't always so cut-and-dried or black-and-white as they initially seem.
In the final analysis, "A Good Marriage" may have been too real and down-to-earth for Stephen King loyalists and people accustomed to high drama, but if you can appreciate an intimate, subtle, slow burning character study I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
I could emotionally relate to Darcy as she discovered that her husband was the infamous Beadie, but what intrigued me even more was her response.
Darcy's final conversation with a guy obsessed with tracking down Beadie was poignant. Here, he's spent a huge chunk of his life chasing down a serial killer only to be forced to reexamine his own life and learn that things aren't always so cut-and-dried or black-and-white as they initially seem.
In the final analysis, "A Good Marriage" may have been too real and down-to-earth for Stephen King loyalists and people accustomed to high drama, but if you can appreciate an intimate, subtle, slow burning character study I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Incredibly Dull And Shallow Movie
HorrorOverEverything3 October 2014
I'm a huge Stephen King fan, the man is a genius when it comes to books. When it comes to his books becoming movies, not so much though. Don't get me wrong, some Stephan King books have translated into film's quite well, however "The Good Marriage" is not one of those.
I'll start off by saying I did not read the story that this film is based on. I'm not sure if the movie does it justice or not, I hope not though. The entire thing was just so slow and not entertaining at all. The story is very basic and really hardly goes anywhere. The acting is also pretty bad, some of the delivered lines were cringeworthy.
I really don't have much good to say about this film other than the last 15 minutes was alright. I really feel bad bashing it, because I wanted to like this movie. Just had a really really really hard time finding something to like about it.
3/10
I'll start off by saying I did not read the story that this film is based on. I'm not sure if the movie does it justice or not, I hope not though. The entire thing was just so slow and not entertaining at all. The story is very basic and really hardly goes anywhere. The acting is also pretty bad, some of the delivered lines were cringeworthy.
I really don't have much good to say about this film other than the last 15 minutes was alright. I really feel bad bashing it, because I wanted to like this movie. Just had a really really really hard time finding something to like about it.
3/10
I don't understand why so many low reviews
michaelthom-720849 September 2018
I read the story before I saw the movie and although there were some changes to the script that I thought were not improvements, I was still surprised to see the film was enjoyable and was a great psychological exploration of what a woman in that horrible dilemma might go through. The story is not about the horrors of serial killers or the supernatural horrors one might expect from King but its about the emotional horror of choosing to live with a secret of unimaginable bearing. I think that the reason many people think this is boring is because that idea went right over their heads. Watch the film amd read the story. Both are great!
Not my definition of
kosmasp4 February 2021
Then again, this is from the mind of Stephen King, so what do I know, right? That's a good question actually. Let's establish that while I know it is based on a short story by King, I have not read said short story. So can't compare or rate based on that.
That aside, the movie is quite good. Not just the actors (really well chosen), but how it was made. To get inside the mind of someone is not an easy thing - to visualize that and to keep the viewer interested. Because not all that is seen, actually is real. Well duh, I know this is a movie, so actually and literally nothing of what you see is true. But you know what I mean or rather will when you watch this. Well made and tension filled ... even if I have issues with characters and choices ... but that is just the way it is
That aside, the movie is quite good. Not just the actors (really well chosen), but how it was made. To get inside the mind of someone is not an easy thing - to visualize that and to keep the viewer interested. Because not all that is seen, actually is real. Well duh, I know this is a movie, so actually and literally nothing of what you see is true. But you know what I mean or rather will when you watch this. Well made and tension filled ... even if I have issues with characters and choices ... but that is just the way it is
Disappointing
shannen-l-c31 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I haven't read Stephen King's novel of the same title which this movie is based on, but can only assume it's the primary material that is responsible for this movie being such a huge dull dud.
It starts with a lot of promise and I was very engaged, watching this picture perfect couple with their 'good marriage' and wondering what was going to happen to shatter their world. Unfortunately, it just didn't really seem to go anywhere and I found myself questioning every single decision that was being made and wondering what logical person would react this way.
Upon Darcy's discovery that her husband is in fact a serial killer, she reacts like anyone would in the same position - with confusion, shock, disbelief, reversion and panic. However, from that point onwards I couldn't understand any of the bizarre decisions Darcy made. Why would you stay in the house? Even if her husband was away, I'd be out of that house and as far away as I could get. When her husband asked if they could forget what had happened and move on (which is perhaps one of the most disturbing and shocking scenes, I've witnesses, and a strong point of the movie), why didn't she lull him into a false sense of security and when he was out of not paying attention leave and go straight to the police? Instead, she continued to play house with a man that was clearly psychotic and had violently raped and killed multiple women, and then randomly attacked him days (or maybe weeks later). I can't understand how or why she came to the decision that killing her husband was the best resolution and I can't imagine that any sane person would immediately jump to that conclusion. At first, I wondered if we were supposed to question Darcy's morality and that King was playing with us, and actually, she was the evil one, but as the movie progressed that clearly wasn't true. Darcy was painted as being an innocent victim of her husband's crimes that did what she did because she wanted to protect her children from being tarnished by her father's crimes. It's a poor excuse and does little to justify her actions, in my opinion. Of course finding out the truth about their father's crimes would harm them for a short while, but eventually the world would forget and they'd all be able to return to normal. Resorting to murder seems too extreme and I can't wrap my mind around that. Unfortunately, the fact that I can't understand or justify Darcy's actions, means the whole movie fell flat for me. It felt unrealistic and as though it was overreaching.
Having said this, the strongest part of the movie was definitely Joan Allen's performance as Darcy, which I can't fault. She carried the movie and if it wasn't for her engaging performance, I probably wouldn't have managed to watch until the end.
Other than that, I'm afraid this movie did fall flat for me. I was constantly waiting for something more to happen, for a reasonable explanation as to what was happening and why, but it was never delivered. We don't even get a proper explanation as to why her husband has killed people (except for his explanation of it being a friend inside his head that takes over) and there's little insight into Darcy's thought processes. When she suddenly attacks her husband I was shocked because it felt like it came out of nowhere. It also seemed uncharacteristically sinister and evil for a woman that was supposedly 'normal'. And the one final question that plagued me is how did the police not discover that her husband's death wasn't an accident? How would he have managed to fall over the banister the way he did? They'd tell just from his position and the way he landed that he was pushed, because it would be impossible to fall that way. Furthermore, they would surely be able to tell that the cause of death was suffocation which wouldn't make sense based on the injuries he received from that fall.
Overall, this movie lacks logic or reasoning. I think it had the potential to be really good, but more thought needed to be put into it, and I'm not sure if the lack of consideration is due to the directors/producers or from the original material by King. Regardless, this is a sub-par movie that I certainly wouldn't recommend to friends.
It starts with a lot of promise and I was very engaged, watching this picture perfect couple with their 'good marriage' and wondering what was going to happen to shatter their world. Unfortunately, it just didn't really seem to go anywhere and I found myself questioning every single decision that was being made and wondering what logical person would react this way.
Upon Darcy's discovery that her husband is in fact a serial killer, she reacts like anyone would in the same position - with confusion, shock, disbelief, reversion and panic. However, from that point onwards I couldn't understand any of the bizarre decisions Darcy made. Why would you stay in the house? Even if her husband was away, I'd be out of that house and as far away as I could get. When her husband asked if they could forget what had happened and move on (which is perhaps one of the most disturbing and shocking scenes, I've witnesses, and a strong point of the movie), why didn't she lull him into a false sense of security and when he was out of not paying attention leave and go straight to the police? Instead, she continued to play house with a man that was clearly psychotic and had violently raped and killed multiple women, and then randomly attacked him days (or maybe weeks later). I can't understand how or why she came to the decision that killing her husband was the best resolution and I can't imagine that any sane person would immediately jump to that conclusion. At first, I wondered if we were supposed to question Darcy's morality and that King was playing with us, and actually, she was the evil one, but as the movie progressed that clearly wasn't true. Darcy was painted as being an innocent victim of her husband's crimes that did what she did because she wanted to protect her children from being tarnished by her father's crimes. It's a poor excuse and does little to justify her actions, in my opinion. Of course finding out the truth about their father's crimes would harm them for a short while, but eventually the world would forget and they'd all be able to return to normal. Resorting to murder seems too extreme and I can't wrap my mind around that. Unfortunately, the fact that I can't understand or justify Darcy's actions, means the whole movie fell flat for me. It felt unrealistic and as though it was overreaching.
Having said this, the strongest part of the movie was definitely Joan Allen's performance as Darcy, which I can't fault. She carried the movie and if it wasn't for her engaging performance, I probably wouldn't have managed to watch until the end.
Other than that, I'm afraid this movie did fall flat for me. I was constantly waiting for something more to happen, for a reasonable explanation as to what was happening and why, but it was never delivered. We don't even get a proper explanation as to why her husband has killed people (except for his explanation of it being a friend inside his head that takes over) and there's little insight into Darcy's thought processes. When she suddenly attacks her husband I was shocked because it felt like it came out of nowhere. It also seemed uncharacteristically sinister and evil for a woman that was supposedly 'normal'. And the one final question that plagued me is how did the police not discover that her husband's death wasn't an accident? How would he have managed to fall over the banister the way he did? They'd tell just from his position and the way he landed that he was pushed, because it would be impossible to fall that way. Furthermore, they would surely be able to tell that the cause of death was suffocation which wouldn't make sense based on the injuries he received from that fall.
Overall, this movie lacks logic or reasoning. I think it had the potential to be really good, but more thought needed to be put into it, and I'm not sure if the lack of consideration is due to the directors/producers or from the original material by King. Regardless, this is a sub-par movie that I certainly wouldn't recommend to friends.
Just boring
Saiph9020 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Here is the plot, man and wife appear to have an idyllic marriage, in the book apparently the stress is on what a good man Bob is, unfortunately in the film he comes across as smarmy and creepy but not in a horror type creepy. He turns out to be a rapist serial killer and the wife finds out, to keep the good name and protect the children she carries on with the marriage until she kills him by pushing him downstairs and then suffocating him. Would an autopsy not find the cause of death? an ex detective discovers their secret by combining their names Bob and Darcy which is bedee ??????????? never mind. That is the film no twists, no horror, no tension, acting passable but this is a film which goes out of its way not to alarm the audience, no loud noises, no sudden movements, no gore, no horror, nothing, luckily it was free on Sky so I have only been robbed of my time.
Kinda weak.......
Shadowking100128 April 2020
If you never watched this movie, you wouldn't miss much. The storyline was very tepid. No build up at all, just jumping from scene to scene, and you just have to accept what happens. No character build-up, so you never get invested in anyone. The biggest lapse was the missing fear and anticipation you typically expect from a Stephen King style story. You keep waiting for the twist that never comes. I gave it three stars because the main actors did act well with the shallow script given to them. In summary, I'd say move on to the next one.
It Just Kind of Was
morbidlove218 February 2020
To me this movie just kind of existed. It wasn't terrible by any means but I kept waiting for some twist or shock (other than the obvious) and one never came. The acting was good, the dialogue was fine, but a lack of suspense is what kept me from giving this movie a higher rating. It's still worth a watch though.
Don't bother
thsweetestbitch3 October 2014
I was SO excited to see this adaptation after reading it in Full Dark, No Stars - boy, was I disappointed.
I even told my mother, who is and has been a massive Stephen King fan probably as long as I've been alive, not to bother, that it was a serious disappointment.
I also feel that it was dreadfully miscast. In the beginning of the book, Stephen King made sure we knew what a good man Bob is - didn't do that enough in the movie. Plus, I don't think Anthony LaPaglia makes a very good Bob.
Yeah, the movie definitely doesn't portray Bob as a nice guy, more like a smarmy used car salesman. Disappoint.
Shame, really.
I even told my mother, who is and has been a massive Stephen King fan probably as long as I've been alive, not to bother, that it was a serious disappointment.
I also feel that it was dreadfully miscast. In the beginning of the book, Stephen King made sure we knew what a good man Bob is - didn't do that enough in the movie. Plus, I don't think Anthony LaPaglia makes a very good Bob.
Yeah, the movie definitely doesn't portray Bob as a nice guy, more like a smarmy used car salesman. Disappoint.
Shame, really.
Another Steven King's stories on the big screen *5
Alabama736 February 2020
A very dull, basic movie
ryanstewart456-123-7615453 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
As a Stephen King fan I was rushing out to see this one, unfortunately it does not lead up to expectations!
Firstly there are a few plot holes to get out of the way, for example a detective finds out about "Beedee" somehow by combining the names "Bob" and "Darcy" - I still have no idea how Bob and Darcy makes Beedee and this is never explained. Also never explained is how he narrows down the thousands of people with similar names (although this can be forgiven as the director requires the viewer to do some thinking of their own). What frankly confused me is the revelation that Bob chose the Beedee name after a long deceased friend that called himself the same name, so the names Bob and Darcy are not the reason for "Beedee" after all..... then how the heck did the detective find them under that assumption?
sigh..... That oversight could be forgiven were the plot not so incredibly simple and boring. Literally she finds out the husband is a killer, cries for a while then **SPOILER** kills him and the movie is literally over. I was astonished at how little plot this movie had, you could make it into a 30 minute short!
As far as acting goes, it was fine there'll be no awards for sure, but it wasn't terrible. Overall the movie has a basic plot, an annoying plot-hole and a forgettable cast! D - !
Firstly there are a few plot holes to get out of the way, for example a detective finds out about "Beedee" somehow by combining the names "Bob" and "Darcy" - I still have no idea how Bob and Darcy makes Beedee and this is never explained. Also never explained is how he narrows down the thousands of people with similar names (although this can be forgiven as the director requires the viewer to do some thinking of their own). What frankly confused me is the revelation that Bob chose the Beedee name after a long deceased friend that called himself the same name, so the names Bob and Darcy are not the reason for "Beedee" after all..... then how the heck did the detective find them under that assumption?
sigh..... That oversight could be forgiven were the plot not so incredibly simple and boring. Literally she finds out the husband is a killer, cries for a while then **SPOILER** kills him and the movie is literally over. I was astonished at how little plot this movie had, you could make it into a 30 minute short!
As far as acting goes, it was fine there'll be no awards for sure, but it wasn't terrible. Overall the movie has a basic plot, an annoying plot-hole and a forgettable cast! D - !
Dark and voyeuristic, but well made enough
wellthatswhatithinkanyway1 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
Darcy (Joan Allen) and Bob Anderson (Anthony LaPaglia) appear like the perfect married couple, with their several children all having done quite well for themselves and one even preparing to tie the knot. And Darcy has no reason to think this is anything but reality- until she learns of a spate of murders of young women around the local area and then, one night to her sheer terror, discovers Bob is the perpetrator. This explosive secret sets the pair on a devastating collision course while a frail detective (Stephen Lang) follows their trail.
I always feel awkward watching a Stephen King film before I've read the novel it's sourced from, because I'd rather it was that I'd read his story first (and got the best experience) than watch the film and know what happens in the book. Ah, but if the man himself wrote the screenplay as well, even though he already wrote the book it's adapted from, then that kind of makes it better then, doesn't it? As is the case with this adaptation of a short story from one of his novellas, although how he managed to make something so challenging so short, I don't know.
It's the sort of thing that could only have come from his far fetched, twisted mind, and the tone is as dark as the subject matter decrees it should be, which makes it an uneasy, unsettling journey into something that takes a dark imagination to enjoy. That said, it is also genuinely suspenseful, in that you are really unsure how it will play out or what the outcome will be. Stern, solid lead performances from Allen and LaPaglia also help, as almost the sole focus of the developing material. Some suspension of disbelief is inevitably required at times, and it doesn't ever come off as being quite as seat edge as it could have been, but it's well done enough in other aspects to gloss over this.
With something so small scale, it might be harder for many to see King as his darkest, but for those that can seek this out, it's a pretty good catch. ***
Darcy (Joan Allen) and Bob Anderson (Anthony LaPaglia) appear like the perfect married couple, with their several children all having done quite well for themselves and one even preparing to tie the knot. And Darcy has no reason to think this is anything but reality- until she learns of a spate of murders of young women around the local area and then, one night to her sheer terror, discovers Bob is the perpetrator. This explosive secret sets the pair on a devastating collision course while a frail detective (Stephen Lang) follows their trail.
I always feel awkward watching a Stephen King film before I've read the novel it's sourced from, because I'd rather it was that I'd read his story first (and got the best experience) than watch the film and know what happens in the book. Ah, but if the man himself wrote the screenplay as well, even though he already wrote the book it's adapted from, then that kind of makes it better then, doesn't it? As is the case with this adaptation of a short story from one of his novellas, although how he managed to make something so challenging so short, I don't know.
It's the sort of thing that could only have come from his far fetched, twisted mind, and the tone is as dark as the subject matter decrees it should be, which makes it an uneasy, unsettling journey into something that takes a dark imagination to enjoy. That said, it is also genuinely suspenseful, in that you are really unsure how it will play out or what the outcome will be. Stern, solid lead performances from Allen and LaPaglia also help, as almost the sole focus of the developing material. Some suspension of disbelief is inevitably required at times, and it doesn't ever come off as being quite as seat edge as it could have been, but it's well done enough in other aspects to gloss over this.
With something so small scale, it might be harder for many to see King as his darkest, but for those that can seek this out, it's a pretty good catch. ***
Promising start, then it flatlines
Stevieboy66629 September 2020
Darcy Anderson has it all - her husband Bob is an accountant, they in live in a nice house, their kids are successful and she has maintained her great figure. One night when Bob is away on a business trip she makes a shocking discovery in the garage - it looks like he is a sadistic serial killer known as BD. Does she do the right thing and call the cops? NO. Instead she stays home alone, but has Bob returned early or is her imagination playing horrifying tricks on her?
As my header reads I thought this one started off quite well, I got into the characters and then the discovery, it was very well done. The remainder of the film however, save for the odd moment, does descend into what looks like a typical made for TV movie. Joan Allen does a great job playing Darcy, she was the best thing on offer here and a looks stunning for a 58 year old (at the time of release). A Good Marriage is a dark and suspenseful thriller, borderline horror but those reviews suggesting that it is one of the best Stephen King adaptations are laughable. I watched it for free on TV and it proved a satisfactory watch, however I would not pay to see it.
Quite good adaptation of the Novella
billsorensen386 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
i was surprised by all the negative reviews. But that may have to do with the name Stephen King and expectations that it will be a horror thriller. It's not. It's more a domestic drama with dark undertones, just like the novella he wrote. The acting was spot on. Joan Allen was perfect. So although it may not be worth paying to see in the theater, it's quite an interesting well made drama that can be enjoyed on the small screen at home. I agree with one reviewer who compared it to a well made Lifetime movie. But I like some Lifetime movies. So give it a try if you like those as well. But stay away if you are seeking out a blood soaked thriller.
Nasty but good
neil-47616 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Soon after their 25th wedding anniversary, Darcy discovers something which leads her to believe that her husband Bob may be a serial killer. But, if she is right, who would believe that she never knew?
This is a fairly accurate retelling of a novella from Stephen King's collection Full Dark, No stars. The four stories in this book were among King's very darkest, and A Good Marriage is probably the least dark.
Joan Allen is a perfect Darcy - appalled, unbelieving, struggling to find a way to deal with the discovery and its ramifications. Anthony Lapaglia is Bob , not the easiest of roles given the conflicting nuances he is required to convey. He too is good in what is essentially a two-hander.
This is a fairly accurate retelling of a novella from Stephen King's collection Full Dark, No stars. The four stories in this book were among King's very darkest, and A Good Marriage is probably the least dark.
Joan Allen is a perfect Darcy - appalled, unbelieving, struggling to find a way to deal with the discovery and its ramifications. Anthony Lapaglia is Bob , not the easiest of roles given the conflicting nuances he is required to convey. He too is good in what is essentially a two-hander.
An interesting idea becomes a rather cliched domestic thriller
vampire_hounddog13 October 2020
A couple have enjoyed a close and loving marriage for 25 years and celebrate their anniversary with their family. While the husband (Anthony La Paglia) is away on business, Darcy (Joan Allen) begins to suspect and discovers that her husband is a notorious serial killer. As well as keeping up the pretence, she is unsure of her next move.
Scripted by Stephen King from his own short story, an interesting idea gives way to some rather hackneyed execution with some typical over the top cat and mouse violence so typical of the genre.
Scripted by Stephen King from his own short story, an interesting idea gives way to some rather hackneyed execution with some typical over the top cat and mouse violence so typical of the genre.
Just dull
dana-kellish10 March 2020
This film commits the one unpardonable sin that no "thriller" should ever make. It's simply boring. There's no atmosphere, the characterization is ridiculous, the tension is weak, the performances are pedestrian, and the thrills, such as they are, are very few and far between.
Stephen King should be much better than this.
Stephen King should be much better than this.
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