These Three: The most frustrating movie I've seen in a while

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that make you want to jump through the screen and shake some sense into the characters, sure. It is a solid drama, but it is not exactly a fun Saturday night watch. If you have zero patience for 1930s melodrama or kids acting like absolute monsters, you should probably skip it.

The whole thing hinges on a lie told by a bratty girl named Mary. Bonita Granville plays her, and honestly, she is so good at being hateful that I found myself genuinely annoyed every time she appeared on screen. That is a compliment, I guess?

The story follows two friends, Martha and Karen, who open a boarding school. Things are going fine until Mary gets caught in a lie and decides to burn their world down for revenge. It is brutal stuff.

Small observations

• The pacing is weirdly calm given how high the stakes are.
• I spent half the film wondering why none of the adults just sat the kid down for a real talk.
• The way the adults handle the gossip feels so suffocating.

The chemistry between Merle Oberon and Miriam Hopkins feels very real. You get the sense they have actually been through the ringer together. There is a moment near the middle where the silence in their house feels heavier than any dialogue they are given. It reminded me a bit of the quiet intensity you see in Birds of a Feather, though the tone here is much colder.

I cannot stop thinking about the scene where the parents start pulling their kids out of the school. It happens so fast. It is like a domino effect that you cannot stop. You can see the panic in their eyes, but there is nothing they can do to fix it. It is just sad.

The movie does not try to be a grand epic. It sticks to the small, miserable corners of this one house. Sometimes I wish it would just let someone win, but that is not the point of the story, is it? It is about how small-minded people can ruin lives without even breaking a sweat.

If you liked the emotional weight of Behind the Scenes, you will probably find something to latch onto here. It is not perfect, and the ending feels like a bit of a compromise, but it sticks with you. Just be prepared to feel like you need a shower afterward. 🚿