DVD: Suburbicon
Reviewed by: Samantha Keogh
Review made possible by: Empire Entertainment
Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic, suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns — the perfect place to raise a family.
That is until the summer of 1959 when two things change the lives of the residents, and the Lodge family (Gardner, Rose and their son Nicky, and Rose’s twin sister Margaret) specifically, forever.
The first African American family, the Mayers, moves into the area and the Lodge family home is broken into by two robbers who tie up the family and kill Rose with an overdose of chloroform.
These two events bring the suburb’s dark underbelly of deceit, betrayal and violence to the fore, forcing mild-mannered Gardner Lodge to step out of his comfort zone and deal with a reality he was unaware of.
Following Rose’s death, Margaret moves in to help take care of Nicky.
Soon she is dying her hair and dressing like Rose, and having sex with Gardner in an attempt to take over Rose’s life.
What follows is a convoluted series of events.
The viewer discovers Gardner ordered Rose’s death and the two robbers are unhappy when Nicky sneaks into the police viewing room and contradicts Margaret and Gardner when they tell the police the two men, in the police lineup, are not the men who attacked them.
They would also like to be paid for the job and threaten to kill Margaret and Nicky should they not be paid swiftly.
There is insurance fraud afoot with regards a policy taken out on Rose’s life and a riot outside the Mayers’ home.
Skip to the end and everyone, with the exception of Nicky who hasn’t killed anyone, is dead.
Needless to say, this was not the year’s best watch and should be saved for rainy afternoons when there really isn’t anything else you would rather be doing.
