Netflix Summary:
Libby Parsons is arrested for the murder of her husband. While in prison, she finds out that she’s been framed. Now, the law of “double jeopardy” — and the desire to kill her “late” husband for good — is all she has left.
FYA Summary:
Libby (Ashley Judd) and her husband Nick (Bruce Greenwood) and their young son Matty are living the good life – they’re the kind of people who live on a lake, but still have an indoor pool. Basically, really rich people. Nick takes Ashley Judd out for a romantic weekend together on a yacht. A groggy and confused Ashley Judd wakes up to find her husband missing and herself covered in his blood. The coast guard immediately arrives just as Ashley Judd picks up a bloody knife. Ashley Judd is arrested, tried and convicted for her husband’s murder (despite never having found a body and Ashley Judd maintaining her innocence), the suspected motivation being her husband’s financial issues and a very large life insurance policy. Matty is handed over to family friend Angela and Ashley Judd is carted off to prison.
Soon Ashley Judd is unable get ahold of Angela and Matty. When she finally does, Matty exclaims “Daddy” into the phone. Suddenly Ashley Judd is beginning to believe her late husband has been alive this whole time. No one believes Ashley except her tough talking jailbird buddies, one of whom informs her of the Double Jeopardy clause, which means you can’t be tried for the same crime twice. Meaning, when she gets out of prison, she is free to actually murder the shit out of Nick. (Except not really.) After getting ripped and some good behavior, she is paroled after only six years. Once released, she is determined to track down Nick and her son, as long as her curmudgeonly parole officer (Tommy Lee Jones) doesn’t get in her way.
Familiar Faces:
Ashley Judd as Libby
Ashley Judd is pretty much a goddess. She’s beautiful and smart and articulate and cares about things. She does important humanitarian work and is an out and proud feminist and sometimes gets in fights with Sarah Palin over wolves. Basically, I think we’re all just a little bit in love with Ashley Judd. Or maybe I’m projecting there. I guess I’m not really interested in her as an actress (since the movies she’s in aren’t exactly my favorite) but as an awesome human. Sometimes I think Double Jeopardy exists solely as a vehicle for me to watch Ashley Judd, since it’s one of my favorite things she’s in. Well, besides when she was Robin Lefler.
Tommy Lee Jones as Travis
Uhh, and Tommy Lee Jones. He hangs out too.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Low
Honestly, this isn’t the kind of movie I’d pick to watch with a group of friends. It’s more of a sick day movie or a Saturday spent at home all day without pants on kind of movie. You don’t set out to watch this movie, this movie finds you.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Not Needed
I’ve never watched this movie while drinking, and it’s not exactly the kind of movie genre that lends itself to drinking along. In fact, if I were drinking, I feel like I’d get distracted and end up doing something else.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Serviceable
Look, this movie isn’t exactly high art. The premise is a bit silly and the plot is predictable at every turn. And apparently the critics universally panned it. It’s more of less a glorified Lifetime movie. But none of that seems to prevent it from being likable. There’s clearly a reason some of us found ourselves watching those old betrayal/revenge Lifetime movies. And this scratches that same itch. Ashley and Tommy are both great. It’s like a watered down version of The Fugitive. And who wouldn’t like that?
