'Good Mourning Lucille' VOD: Millennial Style Agatha Christie

Breaking Glass Pictures aptly uses the millennialcentric VOD, including iTunes and Amazon Instant, format to recently release the quirky 2014 murder mystery "Good Mourning Lucille." The concept of this one is that the titular bereaved 20-something is gathering those nearest and dearest to her beloved (and departed?) twin on the six-month anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of that sibling.

As the Breaking press release points out, "Mourning" pays homage to the wacky '80s murder-mystery "Clue" based on the board game of the same name. Although not as B-list star studded as the '80s film, "Mourning" populates itself with the same type of quirky characters.

The following YouTube clip of the "Mourning" trailer highlights the quirky indie comedy with the 2000s twist style of the film.

Lucille is the flaky lesbian outcast sister to the straight and better loved Rachel. The unusual suspects begin with Rachel's close-friend-since-childhood Sonia, Sonia's emotionally unstable girlfriend Madeline, former college roommate Geneva, and couples' therapist Selma. Writer/director Vanessa Libertad Garcia rounds out this girl-power group with loutish pretty-boyfriend Jack.

Lucille lures the group to the family villa with a pretense only to soon make them surprisingly compliant prisoners with minimal complaint. The fraying of nerves leads to equal measures of bodies and secrets/resentment being revealed. An element of the modern version of 15-minutes of fame contributes further commentary on the generation that both is (arguably excessively) encouraged to express their emotions and feels entitled to get a trophy merely for showing up.

Much of the fun of the film relates to "Mourning" becoming increasingly electrified as the aforementioned tensions build. It is tremendously apt that a minor theme mirrors the concept behind the early MTV reality show "The Real World" of enticing viewers with the promise of seeing what happens when people stop being polite and start being themselves.

Highlights include humiliating Jack well beyond discussing that he still wets the bed, Geneva channeling Joan Crawford, and Lucille putting herself in several situations in which she got some 'splainin' to do.

The movie having a strong live-stage vibe is another good aspect of this; you will get a sense that you are watching an improv repertory group.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Mourning" is welcome either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.