Paradise Cove review: Should you be adding the movie to your VOD watchlist?

The new Todd Grinnell (One day at a Time) and Mena Suvari (American Beauty) film Paradise Cove has arrived on VOD platforms. With theaters closed in many places and the pandemic raging on, you may be looking for your next home streaming option. Whether or not Paradise Cove is for you will depend on the type of viewer you are.

We’ll begin with the setup. Knox and Tracey Bennett (played by Todd and Mena) inherit a Malibu beach house from Knox’s mother after she tragically passes away in a fire. We learn pretty early on that Knox’s mother was a scammer, and eventually learn that she came into the house in a very shady way. In fact, we learn that she found a legal loophole that allowed her to steal the house right from under its previous owner.

More from Horror

• Thanksgiving movie death toll: Why [SPOILER] is still alive
• It’s a Wonderful Knife, a horrific Christmas movie to stream on Shudder in December
• It’s A Wonderful Knife age rating: is the new horror movie appropriate for kids?
• No, Markiplier is not in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie (And here’s why)
• Chucky season 3 finale: When is the last episode of Chucky coming out?

That’s where the fun starts. The previous owner, Bree (played by Kristin Bauer van Straten from True Blood), lost her home but she has not left. You read that correctly. As Knox and Tracey start moving in so they can renovate and flip the house, locals start asking them if they’ve met Bree yet.

No one gives them a proper warning until Bree starts messing with them, beginning with a late-night shower right outside their home. The former model introduces herself to Knox this way and right away we know that this isn’t a woman with a normal functioning brain.

You see, Bree is living underneath the house. She refused to accept it when Knox’s mother displaced her so she stayed. Now you may be wondering why Knox and Tracey wouldn’t simply have her removed but there are a few reasons that the movie gives for this.

For one, the locals seem to be on her side for the most part. Particularly the police. Secondly, Knox is about to do some renovations to the home that he does not have a permit for so he doesn’t need the extra attention.

Paradise Cove is more of a Lifetime movie than an award-winning thriller

From there you get a movie with slowly escalating stakes as Bree messes with the Bennetts to get them out, and the Bennetts try to endure so they can get the house done.

What I liked about Paradise Cove

Kristin Bauer van Staten was great as the villainous Bree. The right combination of crazy and seductive as she toyed with Knox in multiple ways. In some ways, you almost understand her reasons for staying, though it feels like there had to be a better way for her to win this battle. That is until you learn a bit more about her character in the latter stages of the movie.

Also, as a fan of One day at a Time, it was nice to see Todd Grinnell in another role. You can check out the trailer below.

What I didn’t like about Paradise Cove

I will not pretend that Paradise Cove is an awards contender by any means. If you’re a fan of thrillers that get more and more wild as they go along, whether or not they make a ton of sense, then Paradise Cove might be for you. It has the feel of a Lifetime movie as Bree gets away with things she shouldn’t be able to.

This type of movie isn’t necessarily for me unless I’m just watching it for fun and we can laugh at some of the outrageous moments.

Overall

With that all established, I still had fun with the ride. Again, the more crazy Bree gets the less it becomes clear whether or not she is going to get away with it. I was pulled in by trying to figure out what the resolution is to this situation.

In the end, I think you get a satisfying enough conclusion but because I don’t like to give spoilers I’ll stop there.

Paradise Cove is available for rent on VOD platforms.