SERIALIZED/ BEST SELLING MURDER
Canada, 2017, 90 minutes, Colour.
Vanessa Ray, Adam Korson, Tara Spencer- Nairn, Tyler Hynes, Meghan Heffern.
Directed by Michel Poulette.
Serialised (also an alternate title, Bestselling Murder) is a murder mystery with a lot of suspects – and, the villain being the least likely, at least on paper!
Vanessa Ray portrays a novelist who has had critical success but, with people not buying her work, she is let go by her publishers. They also want her advance to be returned. This is difficult because she has been going through divorce and has to pay alimony to her husband and she is paying for expensive medication and treatment for her mother.
The film shows her and her alter ego confronting the publisher when he comes to offer a deal that she be a ghost writer for a very popular series. She declines and then the alter ego stabs him.
With her friend Darby persuading her, she agrees to write the story and it is downloaded for subscriptions, the first issue free is a hook. The hook is taken but there is a copycat killing the next day. With the publication of the second chapter in The Bloody Mary Chronicles, an antagonistic critic is murdered the day after.
The plot is complicated by the return of the ex-husband and her still loving him and his making financial demands. Her former student who now lives with her former husband is pregnant. There is a sympathetic detective to whom she is attracted. There is also a mysterious man who approaches her at the reading as well is in the dish neighbour who is very protective and wants to date her.
There are all kinds of complications, audience suspicions. It is revealed that her partner, Darby, is also in financial difficulties and there is the thought that she has committed the murders for publicity.
Ultimately, there is confrontation with the masked murderer, Darby being shot, the detective also being shot and the author going to her ex-husband and his girlfriend to stay for protection. And that is the last thing that this situation provides…
1. The title? Serials, episodes, reader suspense, mysteries and clues, life imitating literature?
2. The New York setting, book publishers, bookshops and readings, apartments, the streets, restaurants, police precincts, online camera studios? The musical score?
3. Hannah, age and experience, her reading? The publisher, letting her go, demanding the advance, her having spent it on her mother and medical care? Her books not bringing in income? The public and the proposition that she continue writing as a ghost writer a series of pot boiling novels, a large advance? Her deciding not to?
4. The device of Hannah receiving visitors, her other self emerging and killing the victims? The audience thinking she had split personality, was guilty of the murders? The fact that the murders happened after the publication of the chapter?
5. Hannah and Darby, their friendship, Darby and her idea, encouraging Hanna to write the murder story? The creation of the character, Bloody Mary? The publishing plan, online, subscriptions? The first chapter free, as a hook? Reasonable success? The question of tying the murder to the second chapter’s release? The online interviews? The connection made? The increasing number of downloads?
6. Darby, business-like, their past friendship, managing the details, the promotion of the interviews? Hannah and her awkwardness, being asked direct questions by the nerd interviewing her online?
7. Hannah, the background of her divorce, her sick mother and her concern? Her ex-husband and his visits, her still being attracted to him? His taking up with Julia, Hannah as her mentor, Julia taking her husband away from her? Her awkwardness, naivete, and the pregnancy?
8. Jason, Hannah paying alimony, his working while she studied, his demands, the visits, sex, the encounter with the neighbour and his threatening him? Inviting Hannah to stay with him and Julia for protection?
9. The police, Austen and Hannah attracted to him, the interrogations, the meal, his being a vegan, her drinking, his taking her home, guarding her for the night? Going back to work, his investigating Hannah and her background, financial situation? His associate, investigating Darby and finding her financial difficulties?
10. The possible suspects: the fan who approached Hannah at the reading and his later following her, being interrogated? The man next door and his wanting to have dates with Hannah, being protective of her? Jason and his need for money? Suspicions about Darby setting up situations to promote the serials? Julia last on the list?
11. The death of the critic and his antagonism towards Hannah? The imagining of Jason’s death? Of Julia’s death? Writing the chapter, not releasing it, changing the victim from Julia?
12. In the house, the fight with the masked intruder, Austin being shot, hospital and recovery? Darby being shot, in hospital?
13. The revelation, Julia and her scheming, with Jason, her ambitions as a writer, Hannah taunting her for lack of talent, following through with the murders, keeping Hannah alive as Julia’s ghost writer? The death of Jason? Hannah and the physical clash with Julia, her being hurt, Julia’s death?
14. Hanna, her new book, the reading, her fans, her mother recovered… Happy ending?
