Lifetime Review: 'Deranged Granny'

A hard-working divorcee with two children, Kendall Thompson (Amanda Righetti) seems to have found the perfect man in Ethan Anders (Josh Ventura). Handsome, sweet, and doting to her kids, Kendall and Ethan fall into a whirlwind romance before Ethan pops the question. Before this, Ethan opens up to Kendall about his mother Barbara (Wendie Malick), who he became estranged from ever since his first marriage fell apart.

Hoping to help her soon-to-be husband, Kendall arranges for Barbara to come to their home, where she makes amends with Ethan and meets Kendall's children Amy and Bobby (Isabel Gameros and Finnegan Garay). At first, it would appear a big happy family has been brought together, with Barbara acting as a warm-hearted grandmother and mother-in-law. But behind Barbara's baked goods and sweet smiles, a dark side brews. Barbara has always wanted to be the perfect grandmother, and now that she has her chance, she won't let anything get in her way...

With a title card sequence that perfectly captures a histrionic mood, it's surprising that Deranged Granny ends up being so contained with its drama. While the movie wastes no time showing us how controlling and obsessive Barbara is, it takes a while for her to take center stage with her villainy. In fact, it seems that much more of Deranged Granny's runtime is spent on the friction she causes amongst Kendall and her family than on the title character's malicious schemes. While this doesn't make for a bad watch, it does lead to moments when the movie slips into tedium.

Counteracting the film's diminished focus on Barbara is Wendie Malick, who brings a perfect blend of malice and heart to the titular granny. Malick shines when the movie lets Barbara go all out on her lunacy, but it's when Barbara is more crafty that her character is at her most compelling. Malick delivers Barbara's phony words of kindness with such authentic sweetness that it's believable how she doesn't arouse serious suspicion. She's just unbalanced enough to be disconcerting to those around her, but deceptive enough to where you can buy Ethan and Kendall dismissing her oddities as those of an overeager grandma.

Malick is similarly convincing when Barbara is winning over Amy and Bobby, while also using the opportunity to give her character a soft side. She may be crazy, but it can't be said Barbara doesn't (in her own twisted way) love her step-grandchildren. Malick brings sincerity to Barbara's scenes with Amy and Bobby, and as we see later in the film, she doesn't intend for her demented plans to hurt them. The script and Malick work hand-in-hand to cultivate an understated sense of tragedy to Barbara's descent into madness. Her warmer, more emotional moments show the potential she has to be a genuinely loving part of her son's new family, and it's enough to make you wish she'd enjoy it rather than connive to try and have her grandkids all to herself. This culminates in a surprisingly emotional climax and finale, which may have you feeling some pangs of sympathy for Barbara in spite of yourself.

Doing their best to match Malick in acting prowess are Amanda Righetti and Josh Ventura as Kendall and Ethan. While she gets things off to an ambivalent start by going out of her way to contact Barbara without Ethan's permission, Kendall is an otherwise likable lead played well by Righetti. While Kendall and Ethan's relationship is pretty rushed, Righetti and Ventura strike up chemistry together that will have you cringing as Barbara's influence puts a strain on their relationship. The script thankfully keeps the conflict between Kendall and Ethan at a level where you understand both of their frustrations, while not taking either to a point of becoming unlikable (i.e. avoiding an A Daughter's Plan to Kill-esque situation). On their own, both Righetti and Ventura tap into their characters' emotions just as well as Malick does, from Kendall's fears about not being a good mother to Ethan's conflicting feelings about Barbara.

Dave Baez appears as Kendall's ex-husband Calvin, with the script and Baez developing him into more than just a "Jerkass Ex" archetype. While Calvin certainly has moments of fitting that mold (including an immensely out-of-character moment of needlessly lashing out at Barbara in front of his kids), Baez delivers Calvin's friendlier moments with an endearingly laid-back demeanor. He may not be as much of a trope subverter as Pool Boy Nightmare's Tony, but it's still something. Such subversion is especially seen in the dynamic between Calvin and Ethan: not a trace of jealousy or antagonism to be found, with Baez and Ventura playing well off each other in these friendly interactions.

Isabel Gameros and Finnegan Garay have their share of effectively emotive moments, particularly as their grandmother's schemes begin inadvertently taking a toll on them. But with both being very fresh to the film scene (Deranged Granny is Gameros' feature film debut), there's more than the expected amount of stiffness that can certainly be remedied if they continue acting and gaining experience.

The focus and restricted action of Deranged Granny are definitely its weaker points, as those coming into the movie expecting a wall-to-wall bonkers grandma drama may wind up disappointed. But what it lacks in thrills it makes up for through its strong cast and a trio of well-written main characters that are sure to keep you invested. Wendie Malick makes a treat out of every nutjob moment Barbara gets, leading up to a climax where she's as insane as she is subtly tragic. It may not be perfect, but Deranged Granny has more than questionably baked desserts to make it a worthwhile watch.

Score: 6.5 out of 10 scone baskets.