Mystery thrillers are one of the hardest genres to get right. When they are good, they are some of the best films of all time. When they are bad, they are... 'The Snowman'. More often than not, they end up mediocre and forgettable in the middle. That's very much the case with 'The Secrets We Keep'.
The United States, now post-World War II, is trying to get back to normal but there is still a lot of mental work to be done. Maja (Noomi Rapace, 'Alien: Covenant', 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo') is still coming to terms with how she and her sister where treated in the concentration camps. When she sees a man (Joel Kinnaman, 'Suicide Squad', 'Run All Night'), who looks like someone who tortured her there. She kidnaps him and keeps him in her basement, torturing him day by day until he reveals who he is. Her husband, Lewis (Chris Messina, 'Birds of Prey', 'Live By Night'), becomes roped into events as well, and questions if she is telling the truth.
'THE SECRETS WE KEEP' TRAILER
'The Secrets We Keep' offers a compelling story, but as soon as it's set up, it loses steam. Once we come to terms that the outcome can only be one of two possibilities, we are just waiting for the film to show us its cards. The acting is quite good, led by both Rapace and Messina, and the film never feels like it overstays its welcome. Its issue is more in how they pad the story; the journey just isn't interesting.
'The Secrets We Keep' offers a compelling story, but as soon as it's set up, it loses steam. Once we come to terms that the outcome can only be one of two possibilities, we are just waiting for the film to show us its cards.
'The Secrets We Keep' is one those perfect streaming releases - you might do a double-take at the cast and wonder how this missed cinemas, but as soon as you look at the plot, you get it. It serves its purpose and nothing more - you won't be surprised, and you won't be disappointed.