The Netflix Not List: “Secret Obsession,” a movie that’s only 1 hour and 37 minutes, but feels like 3000 years

Graphic+Via+Kiera+Wilson

Graphic Via Kiera Wilson

Welcome to the “Netflix Not List.” In this blog, I will expose the terrible movies and TV shows on Netflix, even if they are universally liked. The purpose of this blog is to spread awareness of what movies you shouldn’t waste your time on.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be mowed down by a car? Lose most memories of your life? Be held hostage by a man who’s madly in love with you? Now you don’t have to. All you need to do is watch “Secret Obsession” and all of your questions will be answered, even if those answers are extremely unrealistic.

“Secret Obsession,” a Netflix original released on July 18, 2019, is about a woman named Jennifer Williams (Brenda Song) who wakes up with amnesia after getting hit by a car. Once she wakes up, she is greeted by her suspicious husband Russel (Mike Vogel), whom she doesn’t remember and starts to reconnect with him. When she was hit by a car, the police and witnesses noted that she wasn’t alone before she was hit, which is why detective Frank Page (Dennis Haysbert) starts an investigation where he finds more lies than truth about the unusual case. 

The only thing this movie is “obsessed” with is wasting your time. Not only does the trailer spoil the entire plot, but it also clearly shows who the antagonist is, giving away the only interesting part of the movie. Ignoring this aspect, the main problem lies within the fact that the plot is as original as a college student’s research paper. There are many movies with the same basic concept, such as “Before I Go to Sleep” and “The Boy Next Door.” Although I went into the movie expecting at least a decent experience, I never got that result. 

Before I get ahead of myself, I have to admit there are some good aspects of the movie. The acting is acceptable and some of the cinematography is pleasing to the eye, but that is it. Nothing else is good about this movie.

Like many other thriller movies, “Secret Obsession” relies heavily on music and sound effects, and there are a lot of unrealistic scenes. How is someone able to hear a small plop outside in the garden when they are asleep on the second floor? Are they a bat?

The key problem I found, however, was its slow progression. There is no reason that I should be staring at a TV screen for 30 minutes just to see a single two-minute murder. Furthermore, nothing exciting or attention-grabbing takes place until the 35-40 minute interval since so much time is wasted in the beginning by scenes that had no significance to the plot. No offense, Frank, but nobody cares that your daughter died. When watching this, I wanted to see the action, but it was all compacted in the end. Even then, the movie is equivalent to kicking rocks barefoot. 

Moral of the story: don’t waste your time on this movie. I watched it once with my sister and another time with a friend, and both mentioned how dull the movie is. If you’re going to make a stereotypical movie, then at least put a little pizzazz into it. Moreover, the ending, no matter how boring it may have been, was extremely unfulfilling. When rating a 1-10, I give this movie a 2.5. The only thing giving it those points are the cool shots. Either way, watching a snail cross a five-lane highway is more entertaining than this movie.