The Poison Tree (2012)
Biba and her handsome brother Rex live in a beautiful, rambling house in north London; naive Karen is soon lured into their dissolute circle, spending an idyllic summer whiling away the hours in a haze of booze and sex. The story runs along two strands – we flash backwards to the start of the trio’s relationship from the present day, when Rex emerges from prison to return home with Karen and their daughter. Someone is watching this family in their clapboard home by the sea as they try to build a new life. But why? The answer lies in the past.
Watch Trailer
Free Trial Channels
Cast
Reviews
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Blistering performances.
A complex story certainly. The twists and turns take you across decades with much of the story told in flashback. I found this adaptation to be extremely atmospheric and well acted.In summary, the quality of the production is high, and the story will hold your interest. The acting is first-rate.The journey to the story's resolution is satisfying even if the resolution itself is not completely so.
To start with I liked the fact that there was so much mystery, so much we didn't know that needed to be explained... but it turned out it was just the manipulative leading woman deceiving everyone close to her about about everything important in their lives, including lying to her charming daughter about who her real parents were and the fact that the man she thought was her father was a double murderer. I hung on to the end, looking forward to her getting her just deserts only to see her end up with everything she wanted... great! Two hours wasted watching an evil, deceitful murderer get everything she wanted in life. Presumably we should all go out and follow her example?