TWO UNSTABLE WOMEN FIGHT FOR CONTROL IN NETFLIX TOP 10 "DEADLY ILLUSIONS".

Leading this week's Netflix Top 10 is a new original, "Deadly Illusions", a Lifetime-based thriller that reminds us of the most important lessons we learned as children. Don't talk to strangers. There is a good reason for it, because first impressions are not always the lasting ones. One would think 40-something-year-old bestselling author Mary Morrison would understand that. Her books' dark themes of lies and betrayal extend beyond fiction. It lives in the real world. Instead, Mary enjoys a privileged, wealthy lifestyle while her old works continue to fly off the shelves.

Her retirement, however, is short-lived when her husband becomes the victim of a deal gone south and half their savings disappears. So, she begrudgingly takes a deal from her publishers. All she must do is write one more book, and their saving will be restored. This is money that is carefully squirreled away for their future security: the care of their children and secure retirement. Needless to say, the stakes are high if she cannot deliver a final book.

One would think Mary would take the job more seriously. This is where the plot of this Lifetime wannabe thriller falls apart, because it takes Mary no time to forget the impending danger. Before she writes a single word, she makes a series of senseless mistakes that would certainly make one question her sanity.

A harsh publicist reminds her of her comfortable situation in the beginning. The brutally direct delivery makes it easy to ignore the message. However, the words hold merit. Mary is spoiled, and she makes terrible decisions. How on Earth does she become so successful? Easy. Sex sells.

"It must be nice not to have to worry about your children, whether or not they'll have a roof over their heads or a good school to attend. You're Mary Morrison, best-selling author. Yet, there was a time when Mary couldn't even get one publisher to read her work. So, she resorted to writing salacious stories, and now gets to sit back and rake in residuals without a single thought to how she got there or who put her there."
(Darlene, Deadly Illusions)

She certainly does forget. She forgets everything: the work required, the ingrity of a proper writer, and appreciation for her publisher. Because she would rather sit at home smoking expensive cigars, lying by the pool, and spending money from a rapidly decreasing bank account than continue to create. If what Darlene says is true, then she could have used her notoriety as a published author to explore her original genre. At the height of her career, she could write anything. Instead, she quits. Only when her wealth is threatened does she agree to continue writing.

Thus, the bad decisions begin. First, she hires Grace, an expensive nanny to take care of her children, even though she would be working under the same roof. With all the time Mary procrastinates and micromanaging Grace, she could easily write and take care of her children simultaneously. Instead, she allows Grace's youth and beauty to feeds her insecurities. Out of nowhere, she springs the idea of plastic surgery on her husband even though they are in the midst of a financial crisis. It's one thing to overspend the money she earns, but that devolves into a much more unhealthy habit of spending money she doesn't have. There is still a book to write.

She should use her book advance to get psychiatric treatment. Her fixations lead to fits of rage and unwarranted accusations against Grace and her husband. Worse, she explodes in front of her children, which makes her guilty of verbal and emotional abuse. A more sensible employee would quit on the spot and called CPS.

Grace, on the other hand, is as unstable as her manic employer. The next thing Mary knows, she becomes the main suspect in a murder investigation. Though, it's hardly a twist, because she let an unstable stranger into her home. A good author would see that coming from a mile away. A good mother would take better care of her children. A good person would find a way to multitask. Mary Morrison is none of these things, and her family knows it. Of course, she is a suspect.

In the end, both women are guilty. Only one of them is a killer, but Grace gets the treatment she needs. She has hope of becoming a better person, while Mary remains unchecked and untreated. She finishes her book, gets her money, and goes on to live in comfort. Until the next crisis where she will need to write another book and her family becomes the target of her aggression again. I hardly call that a happy ending.