Lifetime Review: 'Your Family or Your Life'

It started as such a normal day for doctor Kathy Meyer (Jennie Garth), heading into work after wishing goodbye to her husband David (Alexander Carroll) and teenage daughter April (Luca Bella, Garth's real-life daughter in her credited "Introducing" role). But fresh off a successful surgery, Kathy is approached by a pair of detectives with terrible news to give her: David was found dead at their house from what the police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Kathy and April are devastated by the news, but even in her grief, Kathy is certain that David would never kill himself and is determined to find proof to prove to the police that he was murdered. As Kathy delves into her late husband's work, she finds that David was embroiled in an explosive case involving corrupt bank CEO Erica Hearns (Angelica Bridges)—and as she grows closer to uncovering the truth, it becomes clear that she and her daughter have been pulled into a corporate cover-up that could cost them their lives....

As you can probably guess from the synopsis above, Your Family or Your Life (thankfully changed from its original title April's Flowers, which sounds like a title more suited for Hallmark rather than Lifetime) is not a film steeped in mystery. The first act not only reveals most of the details regarding David's history with Erica and the case he has against her, but also confirms that his death is in fact a murder and not suicide, leaving no mystery about who was responsible and who's now after Kathy and April. While some may be disappointed in the lack of intrigue, Your Family or Your Life more than makes up for it by providing a thoroughly enjoyable thrill ride of a watch, with a few surprise twists and a permeating sense of tension that reaches a crescendo by the final act adding to that.

While she may not have as much screen time devoted to her as other great Lifetime villainesses, Angelica Bridges absolutely dominates as the unapologetically ruthless Erica Hearns. With her very first scene of arrogantly asking David and his partner John Rudson (played by Josh Server) to drop the case against her and making not-so-veiled threats if they refuse, Erica reveals herself as a woman who doesn't even try to hide her true nature from people due believing her wealth and connections make her untouchable, with Bridges taking on that attitude to deliver an exquisitely fierce performance. Erica is complimented in villainy by her henchman Ed Brock, and while he never reaches the same heights set by Bridges, Eric Michael Cole brings a cold-blooded malice to Ed as he thoughtlessly carries out Erica's demands.

Jennie Garth and Luca Bella, meanwhile, prove to be solid protagonists as a mother and daughter pulled into a dark conspiracy by the death of their respective husband and father. Both women bring a rawness to their scenes of mourning, and Garth in particular brings a ferocity as she becomes determined to take down the people who killed her husband and protect her daughter from them. Bella, meanwhile, does well in her emotional scenes as April becomes entangled in the scheme that killed her father, though it is disappointing that despite being an ally in Kathy's investigation. April never becomes as fierce and proactive as her mother, and SPOILER ALERT ends up spending the final acts of the film in the standard "Damsel in Distress" role, leaving her involvement in Kathy's investigation unfortunately limited. Spoilers Over. To round out the Meyer family, Alexander Carroll does well in his short role as the doomed David Meyer, with his best scenes being the flashbacks where he is shown refusing to kowtow to Erica's demands.

Alexandra LeMosle fares better than Bella in her own requisite "Heroine's BFF" role as Kathy's co-worker Michelle Lindstram, who proves to be rather resourceful and quick-witted during the climax. In other fresh spins given to classic Lifetime tropes, David Bianchi brings more likability to Detective Jansen than most "Unhelpful Cops" seen on Lifetime, and April's boyfriend Damon (played well by David Gridley) becomes entangled in the proceedings in an interesting and understatedly tragic way. Josh Server plays John effortlessly across an array of emotions as the film progresses, and even Vassiliki Ellwood has a few strong scenes as minor character Jess, with her final scene of the film being the best of the bunch due to her emotional performance. Ben Reed also does as well as he can as Mike Gallagher, though his character is unfortunately left as a flat one who only seems to serve as a plot device, despite being the character whose off-screen actions kickstarted the story.

Apart from those few minor flaws, though, Your Family or Your Life is a tension-packed Lifetime thriller with a solid cast to back it up and a wonderfully over-the-top villain you will love and hate all at once. If you're looking for a Lifetime thriller that becomes heavy on the thrills as it goes on, Your Family or Your Life is exactly what you need.

Score: 9 out of 10 flower boxes.