The Secrets We Keep [2020]

The Secrets We Keep represents what’s becoming a Hollywood standard: a good trailer and a lackluster movie.

The movie doesn’t waste anytime letting the viewer know what’s going on. Less than 15 minutes into it’s 1h37min run, you already know the whole story. And it just goes stale from there.

Set in in post-WWII USA, Maja Reid (Noomi Rapace) is living her suburban life with her husband (Chris Messina) and kid. One day, she kidnaps Thomas, a new neighbor (Joel Kinnaman), seeking vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her.

Thing is, The Secrets We Keep tries to represent how WWII survivors dealt with PTSD and the guilt of surviving the war and the camps. Sadly, most of the treatment here is very shallow. How would anyone believe that Maja successfully created a new life and identity for over 15 years, married an American, moved to USA and suddenly, she turns into a kidnapper? Plus, I get that “love is blind”, but is it really blind enough for the husband to become a co-conspirator when his wife lied about literally everything? Even though he did the research around Thomas’ supposed identity and the papers proved real?

Plus, that ending. Enduring one hour and 30 minutes of thinking Maja is a liar in order to prove her supposedly correct in under 30 seconds? Really?

Should you watch it?

The Secrets We Keep handles its more serious themes indelicately and delivers semi flat and unrealistic plot twists along the way. So, should you watch it? Not really.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream The Secrets We Keep on Prime Video.