Inconceivable (2017) User Reviews

Like a Lifetime movie but with Nic Cage

[phd_travel · 6/10 · 17 July 2017]

This is a Lifetime style thriller with slightly better photography and direction and it has Nicholas Cage. The story is about average Lifetime psycho standard - not better not worse. So it's not too bad a watch.

The title is a pun on the word. Or it could be called crazy egg donor. Gina Gershon plays an older doctor with fertility problems. She has a kid with an egg donor. Nicholas Cage plays her husband. She befriends another young mother whose daughter and hers become friends. Unknown to her she is actually the egg donor and goes around checking how her babies are being raised and if she isn't happy she gets dangerous. The story mostly checks out but it kind of is rather lame how she would invite such a pretty woman to stay in her guesthouse.

OK watch if you don't expect feature film standards.

Gina Gershon is the only good thing about this.

[outlander83 · 4/10 · 26 August 2018]

With one exception every actor completely phones it in. Completely unimaginative directing, poor editing and very predictable. Not worth 100 minutes of your life.

Hollywood casting is out of control

[xhidden99 · 4/10 · 16 March 2018]

56 year old Gina and 54 year old Nick as new parents. Really? Are you kidding? This is getting silly. I understand the need to draw in eyeballs with known talent but come on. Gina's mother in law character is Faye Dunaway who's only 11 years older. There's only so much soft focus and cake makeup you slather on to cover that. And Nick? Shoe polish in your hair is not a good look. I get it, you owe like a zillion dollars and you have to work like a dog but why not look for parts for a guy your age.

Done-to-death "evil woman" thriller

[LilyDaleLady · 1/10 · 19 November 2017]

Really just a terrible movie. And its been done SO many times in the past -- someone mentioned "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" but I just saw a black variation on this last year (can't recall the title, very boring) with a rich black couple who hire a surrogate. This is virtually the same film with a white cast!

I call these "evil BEE-yotch" films. There is always a nice woman, and then an evil woman who is jealous and wants the nice woman's "life" (which is always wealthy beyond belief). The husband is a passive dupe. Sometimes he cheats with the evil BEE-yotch, but not always -- not here, even though Nicky Whelan is far prettier and younger than Gina Gershon.

The only thing that could pass for a twist is that the Whelan BEE-yotch character is a lesbian. But that hardly raises an eyebrow today.

Aside from how derivative this is...they can't even get the details correct. There are numerous logic errors in the film. In the first scenes, Katie (Welan in a brunette wig) is seemingly an abused new mother, trying to runaway with her baby, when her husband comes home -- there is an altercation and she kills him with a convenient kitchen knife.

BUT...later in the film, we learn she is really their EGG DONOR, who managed to find their identities, track them down -- and is STEALING the baby -- and she has just murdered the babies real mother upstairs in the tub. Then she kills the husband. She has to have left DNA and fingerprints all over the darned house, but NOBODY -- police, FBI -- is searching for her! ha! she's fooled them! she has COLORED CONTACT LENSES! (BTW: nobody is searching for a kidnapped newborn baby? are you kidding me?)

At the end, an emergency room doctor tells Nick Cage that his wife (Gershon) -- ALSO stabbed by Whelan! in an identical incident! -- "didn't make it". He weeps. Everyone weeps. Katie (Whelan) is nowhere around, she's giving birth. Later, it turns out Gershon is not even INJURED from a huge knife plunged into her ABDOMEN (!!!). She's alive, to the shock of Katie (Whelan) who intended to kill her, and steal her husband and new baby. But...why on earth would the ER doctor have told Cage that his wife was dead? when she was FINE??? The only reason was to FOOL the audience! with totally false info!

We see Katie go into the hospital -- she is also injured slightly -- and they are just putting a bandage on her and it's a DAY after Gershon supposed DIED. Yet they are just putting a bandage on her wound? for the first time? then she's suddenly in labor, even though earlier we were told "she has three more weeks". She is put UNDER for a C-section (why???) -- totally knocked out -- which is NOT how c-sections are normally done. (They are done with spinal blocks and most women are completely awake & alert through the procedure.)

THEN we see her wake up, not even in the recovery room -- she's alone somewhere -- and they go down to the nursery to see the new baby. She is so FINE after a C-SECTION -- which is major surgery, cutting your abdominal muscles -- that she can get out of her wheelchair and run around. Note: most women can barely walk after a C-section and it takes 6 weeks for a complete recovery.

Did none of these people ever have a baby? yeesh. On top of that, we see Cage, Gershon, their new baby, their existing 5 year old daughter -- AND KATIE'S DAUGHTER!!!! -- all together in bed. Supposedly they get to KEEP Katie's daughter, even though the child was never theirs -- belonged to another (murdered) couple -- the child is entirely unrelated to either Cage OR Gershon (though a half sibling to their own daughter).

On what planet would they have gotten custody? That child had a family, even if her parents were murdered -- aunts, uncles, grandparents -- who would be desperately searching for her! Even if Cage's family wished to adopt her, it would be a lengthy process and no guarantee they would win custody. (Even if the murderous mother, Whelan, were in jail -- it would not sever her parental rights and the child would likely go into foster care.)

Mistakes like these are utterly thoughtless, showing NOBODY involved gave this the most minimal attention -- just slapped together lazily the tritest elements of this genre.

Gershon and Whelan do decent work, to be fair. Cage sleepwalks. He and poor Faye Dunaway look just awful -- hello folks? there is high def film now! you can't hide the wrinkles! -- and their presence is just sad.

Lastly: why oh why do these films always have to be set in the most obscenely lavish mega-mansions? This one is so over the top, it made me think of the "Versailles" palace from the film "The Queen of Versailles". It is just exhaustingly large and opulent. Even a pair of doctors would not likely have a house like this. Don't people in ordinary colonials and bungalows also have problems with infertility? The set is just a total distraction from the plot or characters, such as they are.

An empty shell of a movie. Avoid.

What's Inconceivable, is how the Director ruined this film.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 30 June 2017]

I'm not sure who decided to have Jonathan Baker direct this film, but it was a huge mistake. Considering he was also the producer, he should have just left it at that - and the small role he also had as a member of the cast (Barry). Was it too much responsibility for one novice filmmaker to undertake? Certainly. Was it a mistake to have him in this type of film as his directorial debut? Absolutely.

The pace of this film was *very* slow. Had I played this at 1.5x faster speed, it may have been more enjoyable. His selection of the score was terrible, if not clearly absent in parts that it should have been present.

The story itself, although done before, did hold my attention and I found it interesting, primarily from the only actor that was the most convincing, Nicky Whelan as Katie. Clearly she is the one that held this movie together.

Now of course, Faye Dunaway's small role was performed on point, but that comes expected with an actor of her caliber.

What was disappointing however was the rest of the cast, particularly Gina Gershon as Angela, and Nicolas Cage as Brian.

I'm a fan of Gina, but I felt she struggled with her role in this one, just as Nicolas did, of which I am also a long time fan of his. I have to admit, this is the first film I actually wished Mr. Cage over- acted his performance as he is well know to do so in his previous films.

What's more shocking is how these two seasoned A-list actors accepted these roles. I would assume after reading the script, it sounded much better than it was directed, so thus their lack of excitement and convincement in their roles I blame fully on the director.

Had this film been directed by someone else, I feel it would have been a huge success and much more enjoyable.

At the end of the day, Jonathan Baker can add an undeserved notch to his directors chair, Nicky Whelan can add a well acted and deserved positive entry to her acting resume, and Nicolas Cage and Gina Gershon should hide this notch from their actors chairs.

A generous 7/10 for an interesting script, held together primarily by Nicky Whelan. It's a shame this film ended up as a lost opportunity to be much greater. For that matter, it's inconceivable.

A mostly dull uninteresting film with little in the way of surprises

[jimbo-53-186511 · 3/10 · 8 October 2017]

Katie (Nicky Whelan) is a mother whom has recently escaped from an abusive relationship. Katie ends up befriending wealthy couple Angela (Gina Gershon) and Brian (Nicolas Cage) and stays in their guest house whilst serving as their nanny. Initially all is well, but the couple start to get suspicious of Katie when they start to learn that she's hiding a dark secret...

The set-up isn't a bad one and in some ways this film reminded me of 'The Hand That Rocks The Cradle', but despite an intriguing set-up the film doesn't contain much in the way of audience involvement. There is some mystery with Katie's character, but the film reveals too much too soon which ultimately kills much of the suspense. The main story also lacks credibility and requires a leap of faith to be able to accept what you're seeing is even remotely believable; a couple allowing a stranger to be their nanny without carrying out any kind of background checks first???

The tempo picks up slightly towards the end, but by this point I'd already lost interest in the story (mainly down to the drawn-out first half of the picture where next to nothing actually happens). I also wasn't impressed by Jonathan Baker's direction which was far too leisurely and I also wasn't impressed by the art-house pretentious feel that the film had as a whole.

The acting isn't too bad though with Whelan and Gershon both being the standout's here. Nic Cage is the big named actor here, but the filmmakers waste him here by just having him hanging round in the background (he's never sufficiently developed and isn't given the chance to make any kind of impression on the picture). The cynic in me thinks that he may have only been cast in the film as a gimmick to make the film appeal to a wider audience.

FINAL VERDICT; skip this one and watch The Hand That Rocks The Cradle instead.

A Watchable Thriller

[chiumt · 6/10 · 19 May 2019]

I watched to the end. I didn't give up half-way though. That is all I can say about this movie. It is about how a woman insidiously worms herself into another's life slowly. The acting is acceptable. The plot is quite standard. Cage is old and fat, but more importantly, his acting is mediocre. Yes, I will watch it once.

Inconceivable: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 25 August 2017]

This straight to DVD Nicolas Cage affair is certainly less "Actiony" than what we have grown accustomed to over the past few years. Rejoining Gina Gershon he delves into thriller territory and though the story has been done before they do a decent enough job.

What threw me was the initial swerve, the movie opens one way and quickly u-turns. When the twist came I'll be truthful I didn't expect it.

Also starring former WWE "Wrestler" (And I use that term very loosely) Eva Marie who I immediately mistook for a Kardashian. Credit where credit is due she put in a decent enough performance but being a wrestling fan I see her and I just see a train wreck.

Harmless enough feature which all comes together well in the end even if it does feel somewhat recycled.

The Good:

One Eva Marie scene that every WWE fan will appreciate

Gina Gershon

The Bad:

Eva Marie

Things I learnt from this movie:

Eva Marie is a better actress than a wrestler

Gina Gershon has access to the fountain of youth

Mean girls all grown up

[johnjacobs-64749 · 4 July 2017]

I'd consider this movie a chic-flick/psycho-thriller as it's packed with women, a little bit of an eye candy. This movie is like a cat-fight of a married woman who befriends a stranger and got cheated on, it's like Mean Girls all-grown-up but with a twist of psychological horror and added drama. This movie came out in a good time as women in films is pretty much celebrated in Hollywood lately just like Wonder Woman and its woman empowerment. Inconceivable, on the other hand, is a little more than that - the whole plot builds sequence after sequence as you understand the whole movie in the perspective of Gina Gershon's character. I love how the story slowly takes you to actually feel like you're being cheated on by Katie. We all agree, this movie seems to be a little underrated but if you're spending the night with your girlfriends and looking for a nail biter movie I really recommend watching this.

Okay movie

[brittanydiane · 7/10 · 13 March 2018]

I really enjoyed the movie all the way until the very end of it. Was very original I think. Although the movie just seemed drawn out possibly? There's just something about this movie that maybe a few details here and there they could've just done without. All together though watching from beginning to end I applaud it for going in the direction at the end that you know is going to happen, but with some twists added to it. I was kind of disappointed at the end when you think that the wife dies and then Katie get really crazy. She starts kissing on Brian and saying "I love you." Which I was like what...? Was kind of confused with the direction that the directors were going with that because I just felt like it was just too over the top crazy that maybe they were shooting for, but it kind of makes it obvious that she did have intentions of killing his wife. I mean put yourself in that scenario. Just seemed too unreal. Which I liked the whole realness of the movie. Besides having your surrogate live with you which is kind of strange. I think a 7/10 is a fair enough rating for the film and I would say if you like them crazy lady movies then go ahead and give this a watch. It wasn't a bad movie to see. Good thing it's on Netflix though because in all honesty I probably wouldn't go to the theater to watch. This is more like a lifetime movie I think.

Dull, predictable and badly directed

[berfinserenatsimser · 3/10 · 5 December 2017]

I rarely write reviews but I feel obligated to give one because it was the reviews that I gave this movie a chance.

First of all, what twist? The plot was so obvious and predictable. I was not surprised whatsoever at any point of the movie. Second, the story was not realistic in my opinion. The characters behave in a stupid way most of the time which made it hard for me to associate with any of them. The husband is way too unsupportive and still portrayed to be a good one at the end.

So, in short, if you enjoy only very well written and directed, realistic movies with real twists, stay away from this one!

Not that bad, deserves definitely more than its average note

[rklemm05 · 8/10 · 24 August 2017]

OK, there might be some flaws in the acting/directing and somehow the end could have been more surprising, but yet it's better than most of the movies we're used to see nowadays.

It reminds me a lot of The hand that rocks the craddle.

Nicolas Cage is under-exploited (he looks more and more like John Cusack, or is it just me?) and quite slow. I don't see the point of hiring him for such a bland part, that any C-rated actor could have performed.

Nicky Whelan overplays it (ok, she's way better-looking than Glenn Close, but not as spooky as she was in Fatal Attraction, sorry dear).

The twist, not so twisted but it does the job.

So I will give it an 8 for effort + the entertainment + suspense + the fact that I wanted to see it till the end (most movies I don't, or fast-play them).

Inconceivable truly shows the difference between parenting and parenthood.

[Otuoacheampong97 · 7/10 · 5 July 2017]

Inconceivable was actually good.Acting was superb from Cage.His forte is technically found in drama.Although it didn't spark with the kind of fierce exchange between two ladies ironically marying one man.But the lesson is well learned.Actually there is a diachotomy between being a mother and mothering.7/10 is fair,Cage was superb,thats exactly what is expected from a man in such situation

Let's Get Real Here

[whitesheik · 1/10 · 7 March 2018]

You will note several ten-star reviews, clearly written by the director or his cronies. So, skip those - how do I know this? Because this is what they do - and no one could be that stupid as to give this film ten stars. Then he has thousands of his nearest and dearest friends upvote it on the main page.

There is no need to pontificate on how bad this film - the script is horrible, the photography is digital (and I don't mean that as a positive), and I can't feel for Nicolas Cage because he obviously enjoys the dough and likes working. Faye Dunaway was clearly bamboozled by the moron director - clearly. She should, at this point, take a leaf from Jane Fonda's book and attempt to not slum. Because when you slum like this, no one will hire you to do something worthwhile. BTW, the "director" described this to the press as a comeback role for her. Uh huh. She has maybe six minutes of screen time.

Gina Gershon, as others point out, gives it her all, but I've never thought much of her all and even if she were Meryl Streep there is simply nothing to be done with either the character or the insufferable dialogue. I found Nicky Whelan ever so annoying, all schmacting all the time.

So where does all this end up? Correct, the director, someone named Jonathan Baker. a) he is a terrible director. b) he is a terrible director, and c) he is also a terrible actor who put himself in this film. Oh, and d) he is a terrible director and, having read up on him, a man of limitless chutzpah and ego. What else is new? The man's claim to fame is The Amazing Race. He has exactly five acting credits, one feature film credit (this one) and that's it. So how exactly did he bamboozle these actors and the people who funded the film? Well, apparently he has money from somewhere - his wife perhaps? Family? Because apparently he put in a million bucks of his own money. Well, that's one way to direct a film. He's also apparently funding a documentary about - him. I'm not making this up, folks. This guy is everything that's wrong with the movies today and hopefully after the failure of this wretched film we will not be subjected to another film from him. The film cost twelve million dollars with, I'm sure, a good deal of that going to the actors he "bought". Certainly none of it went into the filming, which took fifteen days. Who can blame Mr. Cage for taking a large check like that? Or Ms. Dunaway? Or Ms. Gershon? And the film's gross? Under $300,000. So, a complete and utter disaster. I found exactly two legit reviews - the LA Times and the Hollywood Reporter - both hugely negative as they should be - sorry, Mr. Baker, money can't buy that for you. Shame on you and shame on everyone involved. Learn how to read a script and just say no. Learn anything, but stop wasting people's time.

Finally, to the morons and friends of the director who loved the "twist" at the end - what twist? There was no twist at the end. Just shameless lying by the screenwriter/director to get you to believe one thing when another is true. That's not a twist, that's idiocy. And there you have it.

Nothing New to See Here, Move Along

[brightspark-78239 · 5/10 · 21 August 2017]

I suppose this might have been considered a good movie, maybe 20 years or so ago. It's not badly done, the acting is fine, it's just that the story line is so trite. Obsession, surrogate mothers, whose baby is whose? It's all been done before and so often.

Gina Gershon looks good, really good. She is like a fine wine, improving with age. Nick Cage's hair is so obviously dyed dark black, it looks quite silly on him. I guess Nick's leading man days are drawing to a close.

One could easily have considered this a good watch except for the fact that the scenario has been done to death, which tends to make it all too predictable.

There are worse ways to spend an hour and 45 minutes I guess, but, in the end, Inconceivable is a totally forgettable offering.

A pleasant surprise

[mjsreg · 7/10 · 28 August 2017]

With Nicolas Cage in the film I was expecting it to have some action in it, which is typical of many of his films more recently.

It doesn't.

What it does have is solid acting by excellent actors (including Cage) and a fascinating story where you are ever quite sure which way the film will go.

Overall I think this is a good drama that is well worth seeing. If I had bothered to read the synopsis properly I may not have watched it - but I am glad I did.

I don't know why some people have a problem with the production - it is good and complements the story perfectly.

Well worth seeing.

Definitely under 5 starts, reviews misleading

[stevecarton8 · 3/10 · 13 September 2017]

Slow, poorly directed, stilted acting. I watched because several reviews said the twist at the end made up for the poor movie. I've now finished watching, and was the twist that there was no twist?

Don't waste your time. I should give it a one, but I have seen worse movies. It had something that made me kept watching, but perhaps that was simply the misleading reviews that had me waiting for something worth watching.

A good stalker/ thriller movie for a Saturday night

[clairelouise5 · 7/10 · 11 September 2018]

I really enjoyed this movie, great cast & good acting, characters that draw you in with their enviable lifestyle & a good, solid storyline. I like slow burning domestic thrillers with a crazy spurned partner-come- stalker and I found this movie ticked all the boxes, while remaining believable and not over the top.

Utter drivel

[jimmy-51803 · 4/10 · 7 February 2021]

How is Nicholas cage still getting work? Awful. Boring. Predictable. Bad acting all round. Plot holes everywhere and bad writing. That's it!

Gaslighting Psycho

[Pairic · 7/10 · 1 September 2020]

Inconceivable: A dark thriller where Nic Cage doesn't chew up the scenery. He's a placid doctor married to another doctor, Gina Gershon. NicKy Whelan inveigles her way into their home, first as a friend, then as a nanny, eventually becoming a surrogate mother for a donor embryo. Whelan isn't all that she seems, indeed she's the psychotic type of character usually portrayed by Cage. She merrily drugs, drowns and stabs her way along. Some really disturbing/violent scenes but Whelan's psychological manipulation and gaslighting of her victims is far more impressive. Faye Dunaway plays an interfering grandmother. Director Jonathan Baker working from a script by Chloe King delivers an interesting thriller with many twists and turns. On Netflix. 7/10.

Truly inconceivable

[welchykaty · 5/10 · 8 October 2017]

The most inconceivable thing about this film is somebody having such an incredibly flat stomach and being so mobile right after having a C-section. In all seriousness, this absurdity is something that needs to be addressed in the film industry but there we go...

Otherwise, the story is interesting enough, relatively slow-paced (running time needn't have been so long - not that it was long, but it was too long for what this film is). There were unnecessary sub-plots.

Acting was OK, Nicky Whelan is used to doing over-the-top dramatic plots from her time on Neighbours, so did perfectly well here. Why have an A-lister like NC involved? Why not, I suppose.

All in all, it was pretty meh. Another user likened it to a Lifetime movie and they hit the nail on the head. Lifetime movies are an occasional guilty pleasure of mine, so I finished the film more or less satiated. Just don't see Nick Cage's name and think you're getting a blockbuster.

Inconceivably a superb movie!

[haroot_azarian · 9/10 · 3 July 2017]

If you are into Unforgettable, Hand that Rocks the Cradle, When the Bow Breaks types of movies, then this one is a must for you! Good story- line and very good acting, especially by Gina Gershon who in fact in my opinion out-shined Cage by far. Pretty impressive performance by Nicky Whelan too for her convincing performance of her movie character. And it was a joy to see Faye Dunaway too still in the business. I highly recommend this movie.

So bad it's good

[elliotjeory · 6/10 · 27 August 2020]

I enjoyed this film, yes it's a recycled plot but it's still a good drama. Some good actors and I liked the story. It doesn't deserve the hate.

Whose Egg is it anyway?

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 15 July 2017]

The film opens up with Katie (Nicky Whelan) with dark hair, stabbing a man who is attempted to choke her. Is she the victim or the crime? Later blonde Katie meets Brian (Nicolas Cage) and Angela (Gina Gershon) who are both successful doctors. The film gives you flashbacks and information so that you quickly know where the script is going. The mystery aspect for the audience is nil.

There was no decent character development for the couple and Nicolas Cage was one of them. I thought Rebecca De Mornay would have made a better grandmother than Faye Dunaway considering her previous role rocking the cradle, which I was thinking about 10 minutes into the film. Then there was the weird kitchen scene near the end and the murder which would seem to warrant a police investigation that we never saw.

Guide: Brief F-word, quick FF sex scene, nudity (Nicky Whelan, Corrie Danieley)

Terrible thriller is inconceivably bad

[mancinibrown · 2/10 · 17 May 2018]

Nicolas Cage is constantly berated for his acting, sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly. In this one, he's playing a normal guy, not wild and crazy. While this may seem disappointing to some, he carries it off just fine. The problem with this movie is 100% with the terrible script.

I have no idea what the writer was thinking. A woman tracks down her donated eggs and embeds herself in the IVF parents lives. Just the concept is so ridiculous, it's hard not to laugh. Then add in the performance of Nicky Whelan, and the lines everybody has to deliver and it's an absolute garbage movie.

The worst part, though, is it's not bad enough to enjoy. It takes itself seriously, so there aren't even campy laughs. While watching I was thinking back to another Whelan/Cage movie, Left Behind. That was an awful, awful movie, BUT it was so bad that it was easy to laugh at . This doesn't even have that saving grace.

Stay far far away from this one. Even if you are a Nic Cage fan.