If There Be Thorns

This week's most rewarding drama pick in the US on Philo and Lifetime Movie Club is If There Be Thorns. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 124 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Heather Graham leads a cast that never overplays its hand. Available now on Philo — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

If There Be Thorns is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — If There Be Thorns earns every emotional beat it goes for. Christopher and Cathy Dollanganger live together as man and wife with Cathy's two sons who are unaware of the incestuous nature of their parents' relationship. But when a mysterious woman moves in next door and befriends the younger boy, Bart, he begins a strange transformation and displays accusatory behavior towards Cathy and Christopher. When Christopher discovers their mysterious neighbor is, in fact, his mother Corrine Dollanganger, all of the family's long-hidden secrets are revealed in a tragic climax. Heather Graham and Rachael Carpani lead a cast doing genuinely serious work here. If There Be Thorns came out in 2015. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping everything up in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, If There Be Thorns delivers. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Heather Graham is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.

If There Be Thorns was released in 2015, directed by Nancy Savoca. The full 100-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.