Review: The Lizzie Movie

Lizzie Borden is a person that continues to fascinate and is always open to new interpretations. But as often happens, the hype doesn't always match the end result.

 I'm always behind everyone else, so I just watched the recently released Lizzie movie with Chloe  Sevigny as Lizzie and Kristen Stewart as Bridget Sullivan.

Well. It's nothing new really. The movie focuses on the rumored relationship between Lizzie and Bridget suggested by a lot of gazing and staring. There is one scene with the two of them together in the barn - and then the creepy Father staring in the window, Ugh.

The movie does give the impression of this being one dysfunctional and creepy family. Uncle John is having money problems, Father is strict, overbearing and something of a pervert who's visiting the maid at night. The whole household is full of mistrust.

Then there is the enduring theory/rumor that no traces of blood were found on Lizzie since she committed the murders in the nude. Except this time, there is the added twist of getting Bridget in on it. An excuse to have both of them au natural I say. (Elizabeth Montgomery in the original 1975 movie, The Legend of Lizzie Borden did it better, I say, with only a bare shoulders shot and nothing gratuitous for the sake of showing nudity.)

Except for the axing scenes in the new Lizzie, which were gory and played for the shock value, overall, the movie was rather.... blah. I'll take the excitement, horror and attitude of Christina Ricci's 2014 Lifetime movie,  Lizzie Borden Took An Ax.  

And if you want another take on the murders, what if Lizzie Borden
killed her parents for an entirely different reason? How about if they'd become... zombies? Check out my book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter.