Gone Mom

Based on a true story, Jennifer Dulos, an Ivy League-educated mother of five and an aspiring writer living in a gated mansion in tony New Canaan, Connecticut, seemed to lead a charmed existence. Her enviable lifestyle was cushioned by a substantial trust fund. Behind that comfortable life, she was far from happy.

Jennifer vanishes after dropping her kids off at school. It didn't take long for all suspicions to point to her charming, if mercurial, ex-husband, real estate developer Fotis Dulos, with whom she had been in the midst of a contentious divorce and custody battle. But shortly after being charged with her murder in January 2020, Dulos committed suicide. Jennifer still hasn't been found.

This is all depicted well in a fairly gripping thriller that doesn't have the campiness and farfetchedness usually prevelant in a Lifetime production. It's well-acted by all. A bit slow and flat in places, but it's intriguing enough to make those points not too much of a viewing hindrance.

The movie about Jennifer Dulos, the Connecticut mother of five who vanished in 2019, falls short of expectations. While the real-life case is gripping and tragic, the film struggles to do it justice. The acting is average, and the storytelling lacks the emotional depth and suspense necessary to convey the complexity of the case, including the contentious custody battle and the investigation into her husband, Fotis Dulos. Overall, the true story is far more compelling than this lackluster adaptation. I suspect there's a 20/20 or Dateline documentary out there that is actually better. Oh well; made a decent snow day movie.

There's a real absence of dramatic tension here.

It feels like the story could have been told in 30 minutes. At around 90 minutes, the characters just amble along and events unfold so very slowly. It really feels like this goes on for hours and hours and hours. And it's such a boring and formulaic story, even if it is based on real events.

I read the book (The Dollhouse Murder) and the movie just does not hold up. The children are almost ignored and they play a much bigger part of the real story. The script does not do justice to the terror and abuse caused by a narcissistic husband. I realize that a movie cannot include everything from the book but this movie just glided over the real story.

I can't stop watching and searching for any updates on this case. I feel like taking a year off from work to find her body. How about Folis' sister? Has her property been searched? Praying they find her so her family can rest in peace. Another search I would like them to do is the properties where he was working at the time? Can she been buried under cement like a basement? Driveway? I wonder if the investigators in Connecticut are like the ones in the movie with Eddie Murphy in Beverly hills cops. I can't understand how her body is still missing unless there is complete incompetence in the police and investigative force. Where are the updates.