Two pregnant women become friends.

But that’s not how this movie ends.

An accident shoots friendship down.

And one of them moves out of town.

When she returns strange things go wrong.

The other one is not too strong.

But when she tries to tell hubby,

he thinks she’s gone a bit crazy.

And on most days a baby cries.

Who is the one that’s telling lies?

The Ones Below boasts some suspense.

Yet missing facts make it too dense.  

Thrillers usually fascinate me. I love to be caught up in suspense while watching what’s happening on screen. And Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense, ranks high on my best director list. So, of course, I always look forward to movies of this genre. With that in mind, The Ones Below should have been a good choice for me.  The film’s concept oozes potential. It concerns two pregnant women living in the same apartment house who share similar due dates for their babies. But a tragic accident changes their lives forever -- and only one woman delivers a healthy baby.

Who will the other woman and her husband blame for this situation and what will they do about it? All kinds of deadly possibilities come to mind! And, in all fairness, the actions depicted are quite frightening. But we’re left with too many questions because of people introduced and not followed up on plus a lack of needed background information in some instances. Also, the behavior of a key character seems so farfetched that suspension of disbelief becomes almost impossible.

Still, all four leads deliver impressive performances. Clémence Poésy (Last Love) and Laura Birn (The Girl King) do a great job projecting both women’s desire for a baby, each in a different way. Stephen Campbell Moore (Burnt) and David Morrissey (TV’s The Walking Dead) make us wonder about the commitment of the husbands they play and how far they will go to protect their wives.

Directed and written by David Farr (Hanna), The Ones Below sometimes appears awash in a turquoise palette reminiscent of Leave Her to Heaven, a 1945 film starring Gene Tierney and Cornel Wilde. Too bad this new movie fails to be as satisfying as that terrific thriller.  

(Released by Magnet Releasing/Magnolia Pictures and rated “R” for language, some sexuality and nudity.)

For more information about The Ones Below, go to the IMDb or  Rotten Tomatoes website.