Stephen King’s A Good Marriage

Name: Stephen King’s A Good Marriage
Genre: Thriller
Released: October 3, 2014
Duration: 102 min
Rating: 43

2014

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Mixed or average reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Ratings

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4.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Ratings

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Stephen King's A Good Marriage

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Movie Details & Credits

Screen Media Films | Release Date: October 3, 2014 | R

Summary: When her husband (Anthony LaPaglia) of more than twenty years is away on one of his business trips, Darcy Anderson (Joan Allen) looks for batteries in the garage. Instead she discovers the stranger inside her husband. It’s a horrifying discovery, rendered with bristling intensity, and it definitively ends a good marriage.

Director: Peter Askin

Genre(s): Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 102 min

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Critic Reviews

Andy Webster

Oct 2, 2014

While the director, Peter Askin, employs an all-too-customary suspense arsenal (vertiginous stairway perspectives, foreboding thunderstorms, ominous headlights), Mr. King’s script offers a wealth of behavioral details. Read full review

Gary Goldstein

Oct 3, 2014

Seasoned pros Allen and LaPaglia are terrific as longtime mates forged together in an unexpected game of cat and mouse. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Sep 28, 2014

It could have used far more of King's mordant humor, which might have imbued the metaphorical autumnal proceedings with a much-needed jolt of pop anarchy, or even pathos. Read full review

Frank Scheck

Oct 2, 2014

Despite the author’s scripting and the fine central performances by Joan Allen and Anthony LaPaglia, this low-key effort directed by Peter Askin fails to fulfill the potential of its provocative premise. Read full review

Noel Murray

Oct 2, 2014

A Good Marriage comes off as curiously flat for a movie about a woman who sleeps next to a murderer every night. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Oct 3, 2014

Flat is the kindest way to describe A Good Marriage, a King novella turned feature that could have worked as a short or an episode of “Masters of Horror” but truly tests viewer patience at 102 minutes. It’s arguably the dullest King film yet, despite solid work by LaPaglia to save it and a decent set-up that goes absolutely nowhere. Read full review

Joe Neumaier

Oct 2, 2014

This one has a screenplay by Stephen King, adapting his own short story. Unfortunately, that can’t save this low-budget thriller. Read full review

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User Reviews

TheQuietGamer

Sep 20, 2016

A nice little thriller with a cool angle. It ultimately does suffer do to what appears to be TV movie production, but a strong cast and sense of believability make it worth a watch for those who like thrillers. Just keep in mind this one isn't wall-to-wall thrills.

It's rather slow pacedA nice little thriller with a cool angle. It ultimately does suffer do to what appears to be TV movie production, but a strong cast and sense of believability make it worth a watch for those who like thrillers. Just keep in mind this one isn't wall-to-wall thrills.

It's rather slow paced and doesn't deliver any scares or big shocking moments. As a result it's more believable. The hook here is the premise. Watching this woman struggle with discovering this huge secret her husband has been hiding from her for years is compelling. Watching her question whether or not she actually ever knew the man she made a family with and stayed by for such and such many years is beautifully brought to life by Joan Allen. Anger, confusion, fear, and heartbreak, Allen brings all these emotions to the forefront of her character making for an excellent performance.

The movie really is about the emotions, rather than the game of cat and mouse. There is a certain menacing quality to Anthony LaPaglia's performance that is totally befitting of a serial killer. However he isn't really given many scenes to flex that ability. Part of the reason that it's so slow is that there really isn't any action. The whole thing is about what this woman is going through. For the most part it does a pretty great job of showing that. However, early on the pace is actually quite brisk. It breezes through the early moments where loving wife "Darcy" makes the big discovery. As a result we don't get to see her go through the full range of emotions one would expect. While that was probably a good move for the overall movie, I still can't help but feel it didn't fully dive into what could have been it's most compelling moments.

It's a solid story about one woman's happy life being turned upside-down by a very dark secret. The performances are great and the whole thing feels grounded in the real world. If you want to see a lot of twists, turns, and big reveals, then you may want to look elsewhere. However if the premise interests you and are a Stephen King fan it's worth a watch sometime. This thriller might not have a lot of big thrills, but it's got that element of human emotion that can be hard to find sometimes.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JLuis_001

Jul 10, 2018

The adaptation is not bad per se but the substance is lost in the translation into cinematographic language and the excellent tension of Stephen King's story feels incredibly diluted here.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

tvnewsguido

Jan 16, 2015

Woefully dull.

Like a lot of King's work, "A Good Marriage" is all about what's going on in the characters' heads - this does not come through well on the screen. There is a bit of gore and an interesting but not unexpected twist but I can't recommend it.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

MikefromAngus

Jan 3, 2015

The movie was extremely slow and boring. The story was alright, but it didn't keep me on the edge of the seat which the idea of the movie should do. Not recommend it

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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