Los secretos de la viuda negra

In Austin, wealthy Steven Beard is shot in his home. Four years earlier, he meets single mom and waitress Celeste (Julie Benz). He would later marry her. She loves spending his money and he showers her with gifts until it goes overboard. He threatens divorce and she threatens suicide. In rehab, she seduces and recruits fellow patient Tracey Tarlton to do a little killing.

This is based on the true crime story of Celeste Beard Johnson. There is a large age difference which isn't here in the movie. Julie Benz is going crazy, but everybody else is totally bland. This is a bland movie-of-the-week. There is no tension. The structure saps away the intensity. They could have spiced it up to fictionalize it as a pulpy lesbian killer thriller. This is nothing.

The casting was WAY OFF. It's incredibly hard to believe the 43 year age gap when the original characters are supposed to be 27 and 70. The waitress was played by someone who is 50 years old and the man is played by someone who 63. They don't look 43 years apart, they look like a perfect couple. Casting was way off.

Please Lifetime learn how law enforcement agencies conduct murders. Evidence is not placed in plastic bags.

Murder scenes don't have everyone sitting in the crime scene contaming evidence. Investigations 101. Please have the writers goggle on how to Investigate a crime.

Suspects or persons of interest interest are not all interviewed at once.

Please I could go on and on. Please get it right.

Julie Benz shines as Celeste, a single mom who's a waitress with 2 kids who wants a better life for herself and them. Enter Steve Beard, a millionaire regular at the bar who falls hard for Celeste, ties the knot with her and ends up being shot in his own mansion. Did Celeste kill him? This one is not as predictable as some movies and a supporting Canadian cast makes this one worth a watch. Definitely recommend!!!

It's an entertaining low budget movie, but I wouldn't watch it again.