'Brazen' Movie Review: Is It Worthy Of Netflix's Trending Top Ten?

Netflix

“Brazen” is the new murder mystery movie burning up Netflix’s top ten charts. Is it worthy of such a buzzy podium? Let’s go ahead and answer that right off the top. When I got done watching the Alyssa Milano starrer, I gave it a “love this” vote instead of just giving it a “like.”

Why? Well, it is a thriller that teases a racy side without embarking on the all-out adventurism of Netflix’s “Sex/Life.” And do not let its “Fifty Shades” adjacent trailer fool you. It is not like that steamy franchise either. All told, “Brazen” (directed by Monika Mitchell) is still a highly enjoyable thriller that would make Lifetime blush.

I would know. I watch a lot of Lifetime movies. (A girl can dabble outside of Hallmark.) So, what is “Brazen” about, and why is it worth your time? “Brazen” stars Alyssa Milano as Grace, a super-successful murder mystery writer. Following a call from her somewhat estranged sister, Kathleen (Emilie Ullerup), Grace moves into her family’s old house to console her sister.

Once she takes up residence, Grace meets Ed (Sam Page), a hot-shot detective living next door. The two instantly hit it off, and Alyssa Milano and Sam Page’s on-screen chemistry cements that for “Brazen.” It is an essential ingredient because the romance is just as central to the movie as the murder mystery.

Speaking of which, fans of the mystery genre will easily recognize a familiar twist. The writer and the detective join forces to find a killer who strikes too close to home for Grace. What follows is a twisty mystery that gives Alyssa Milano her best TV movie since 2008’s “Wisegal.”

Where “Wisegal” is a Lifetime movie, “Brazen” is a Netflix original that pushes boundaries without crossing into R-rated borders. Based on Nora Roberts’ novel “Brazen Virtue,” a successful real-life mystery writer set the groundwork for Alyssa Milano, and it shows. Milano seems to relish the role, and hopefully, there is more where Grace and Ed are concerned. I would watch a sequel.

Fresh off of the moving Hallmark movie, “One Summer,” Sam Page continues hitting his 2021-2022 stride with “Brazen.” It is tough to play the strait-laced cop, and Page makes more out of it than most. So, what does all of this mean for the worthiness of “Brazen” on Netflix’s top ten most-watched list?

I think people need some escapism, and they are getting it. Saturday night movies that provide some thrills and chills are always welcomed, and viewers clearly want more of them. Thanks to the strong performance of the Netflix movie in the streaming giant’s charts, there could be an argument made for it to get even more “Brazen.” Stay tuned.