Ties That Bind (2010 TV Movie) User Reviews

good for lifetime

[someguy2013 · 6/10 · 28 November 2010]

No, this is not great movie. Nor is it the most morally uplifting film ever made. But it is just right if you are looking for a decent TV movie. It has beautiful women(particularly the lead), romance, intrigue, suspense, and some really good plot twists. What more could you ask for from a Lifetime movie?

I'm not sure why other people are giving this flick such low ratings. And average lifetime movie seems to get around a 5 and a good one 6. Based on those numbers, I myself am giving this movie a 6. It's a lot better than some of the stuff on the Lifetime networks. Anyway, it's worth at least one watch.

not too bad

[sandcrab277 · 5/10 · 23 November 2019]

Neither of the female leads were particularly attractive but they did passable acting ... you could tell the sleezebags from the onset and they were hilariously stupid, including the fbi agent.. the local cops had no clue as per usual and the tough guys ended up being out toughed by the main female lead ... i liked her attitude and moxie throughout ... i may even look up some of her other films and partake, thanks kristanna loken

Terminate her

[kosmasp · 4/10 · 28 April 2023]

No pun intended - yes Kristinna Lokken stars in this. And I assume she would love to get better scripts. She is better than this - or mabe she isn't. I do feel she could do more than be part of stuff like this. Even when she isn't really - well there is no real challenge when it comes to story or acting - yet you can see her giving it her all.

Well apart from baring it all. I actually am not sure, if she has done a movie where she is completely nude. In Terminator she was in her Eva costume, but it was shot in a way that it was able to get away with a PG13. And the same rating is true for this one I assume.

There are not many things that will surprise you here - story is by the numbers. Dialog is weak most of the time ... well the people are good looking if that helps .. and maybe you are into the thriller of the week tv movie thing ...

Why the low rating?

[HallmarkMovieBuff · 29 August 2010]

While watching this movie, I wondered why the first fourteen voters scored it an average of only 3.1 on a scale of 10. It didn't seem that bad to me. (When watching a movie, I start it off at a 5, and go either up or down from there.)

I've never seen Kristana Loken highly praised for her acting chops, but I remember her favorably from "Painkiller Jane", and could never understand why others had problems with her performances.

Here, Loken stands out early for her convincing grief at her best friend's death, a grief I found catching.

I've watched enough mysteries (this one has a touch of the thriller in parts) to know that the "bad guy" is often introduced at the beginning and revealed at the end, sometimes disappearing in between.

Thus, when Rachel's co-worker, Peter Wilson, shows up by surprise at her funeral, I immediately cast him as "a person of interest," and looked for clues of his "guilt" or "innocence" as the story progressed, while Peter helps Hope sort out Rachel's apartment and settle her affairs.

So, why was this movie so disappointing to some? I suspect it's due to some surprising (and hard to believe) behavior by our heroine (not the actress, but her character) during the climax.

And is Peter the good guy that he appears, or not? Can't say; that would be telling. You'll have to watch.

On the plus side, the actors are native to at least four countries or cultures, but all have perfect American accents. (Though filmed in Montreal, the movie is set in New York City.)

Speaking of the cast, I was disappointed to find so few in the cast list under this title. I managed to salvage and submit several from the end credits, but the two in which I was most interested, i.e., the two detectives, I was unable to find.

Imaginative

[andrewdgreen-71914 · 5/10 · 23 March 2022]

Pretty good made for tv suspense thriller. Some ridiculous coincidences. After the main character escapes out of New York the protagonist just suddenly discovers which roadside motel she happens to be secluding herself.

quite intriguing

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 4 February 2019]

Fairly intriguing thriller stars the beautiful Kristiana Loken who should be on screen more. She hears her best friend being assaulted on the phone. Later she is presumed dead. Going through the deceased stuff she realises she was an escort. She is helped by a lawyer colleague of the dead girl.

There is some big conspiracy and trial in the background.

Worth a watch.

This is a 5 star movie but I added one because the lead actress is cute

[fsfaludi · 6/10 · 5 February 2024]

The plot is a bit convoluted and the acting on the whole is neither great nor terrible. So for a made for TV movie it's a good waste of time rather than a bad one. I stopped the flick several times while I made supper, but it kept my interest just enough to restart it and watch to the end. And it's mercifully short while many of the ones I've seen recently seemed to average 2+ hours in length. As I stated, the lead actress is attractive, a real model in fact and she seems believable in her role. I can't cry on command while apparently she can. I have seen many better movies but I have also seen many FAR worse.

There's Always Hope!!!

[lavatch · 9/10 · 29 December 2020]

The title "Ties That Bind" refers to the close bond of two best friends, Hope Webster and Rachel Thomas. But there were also presumed ties between college buddies Peter Wilson and Bobby Calderon that were not as enduring. The film closely examines the relationship of Hope and Rachel.

The screenplay devised an intricate narrative, a well-developed set of characters, and some snappy dialogue. The best line was delivered after Hope laughed in the face of the tough guy Calderon and told him, "You're like a cliché of a short guy!" and "You came here to kill us. How? By talking us to death?" There was a true polish to this script that paid dividends in the film's overall watchability.

There was also an interesting romantic subplot between Hope and the attorney Peter Wilson. There was good chemistry between the characters, and the relationship turned into a roller coaster ride. Rare books have been stolen and are passing hands with Peter apparently deeply involved in the skullduggery. At one point, a rare Leonardo da Vinci print was given to a corrupt judge to sway her ruling. It is up to Hope to break down the conspiracy much like "The Da Vinci Code."

Kristanna Loken was outstanding in the role of Hope Webster. Her character experienced a shock to the system after her bestie Rachel apparently died a violent death. Then, she had to come to terms with a different reality about her friend. At one point, Rachel considered becoming an escort girl for the Fantasy Dates service. But after getting "tarted up," she couldn't go through with it.

Recognizing the flaws in her friend, Hope is always chipper and reassuring. In the past, she had bailed Rachel out of other jams. Once again, she is called on to save her friend. And all that she needs to do is to remind her that "there's always hope!"