The thriller subgenre comes in many different forms. Back in the 1970’s, the political thriller was big, in the 1980’s it was the courtroom thriller, and in the 1990’s it was the erotic-thriller. And yet, no matter how they come, they draw a very diverse audience since they seem to include everything interesting in a fictional story. The new thriller, PARADISE COVE (2021), was just released on February 12^th, 2021, and though seeming to be another solid entry into the genre, it also has a bit of interesting subtext as well.

Young couple Knox (Todd Grinnell) and Tracy (Mena Survari) inherit the home of Knox’s late mother. The home has damage from a fire, but its value seems unlimited since it is beachfront property in Malibu, California. As they begin to clean up the property, they discover, Bree (Kristen Bauer van Straten) , a homeless woman, living on the residence. Unfortunately for the couple, they discover a scandalous back-story about the property that could jeopardize all their lives.

The movie is directed by Martin Guigui and written by Sherry Klein. And the cast includes long time genre favorite Krista Allen. Rather than being a straight thriller, the movie also has a subtext about societal constructs such as property rights, subcastes, trophy spouses, and gentrification. Your co-hosts take a look at this interesting film and give their thoughts.