Alexa PenaVega takes middle stage in Earlier than Your Father Finds Us, the second movie in Lifetime’s faith-based slate, which options highly effective, robust girls embracing their religion throughout difficult instances.
Coming off the heels of the Religion within the Flames ripped-from-the-headlines movies, this one, whereas not impressed by actual occasions, nonetheless has quite a lot of coronary heart, and Sophia exhibits a lot grit and gumption.
It leads to an intense ordeal and equally as intense watch!

So far, Lifetime’s Religion slate has been gentle on the religion. It’s not a criticism, simply an commentary on condition that these tales had been all meant to have this robust theme.
I’ve been stunned by how secure they’ve performed it on that entrance. Right here, we open and shut with Sophia/Alex and her daughter in church, and there are two distinct moments when Sophia prays, however these moments additionally don’t really feel totally different from every other movie.
We’ve seen these informal references to religion within the traditional Lifetime movies earlier than. There’s nothing distinctive that feels worthy of typing it to such a closely themed slate.
Outdoors of that, this was one other story a couple of girl who was just about on the run from her harmful ex-husband, and a momma bear would fiercely shield her baby.
After we met Sophia, it was evident that she was a lady with secrets and techniques, guarding her coronary heart and on excessive alert. I beloved these little moments when she couldn’t hold her masks from slipping — like slicing these greens whereas having dinner with Steve.

It was obvious that behind a seemingly docile girl was a formidable particular person with a darkish previous and a misleading ferocity.
The thrill got here from studying that she was within the army alongside her husband, Mason. Whereas it was nerve-wracking to see that he was a mentally off-kilter man in jail with a myriad of specialised expertise from his army work, the reduction got here within the revelation that Sophia/Alex possessed these expertise, too.
It was thrilling to know that because the movie progressed, we’d have a good struggle, not one other film the place a lady needed to run from hazard and typically depend on one other male to save lots of her.
Sophia, coming face-to-face with Mason for the primary time in a decade, had all that palpable pressure that made you maintain your breath. I particularly beloved PenaVega’s silent efficiency there as a result of she actually captured what it’s like when a lady is fearful and making an attempt to play it off as greatest as she will be able to.
However my favourite was how she instantly shifted into fight mode. She pulled that go-bag out like a lady on a mission, and it was like we noticed a gear change in her.
The last decade she spent trying over her shoulder, seemingly coming throughout as a meek girl, slipped away, and he or she turned a warrior decided to do no matter it took to guard her daughter.

And he or she was sensible sufficient to know that the FBI had a leak and largely stored them at arm’s size all through many of the movie.
Sophia was a drive, and I beloved each second of it, from her exit plan from her residence to how she arrange that cabin to make sure everday obects would alert her if he stepped foot there.
Her transformation into this whole bada** was a real spotlight of the movie.
We discovered that she’s an honorable girl who couldn’t look the opposite manner when Mason participated in and fueled some shady actions together with his army unit. She didn’t hesitate to show him in and testify in opposition to him.
It resulted in her and Emily in WITSec, however it was a essential evil in change for his or her security.

I virtually want she may have let her daughter in on extra about her previous, although. Emily got here throughout as a bit too naive, and worse but, she appeared hesitant to take her mom’s phrase for it when Sophia instructed her how harmful Mason was.
She additionally appeared to view Sophia testifying in opposition to him as a attainable betrayal. It didn’t appear to click on into place simply how a lot her mom was defending her and the way severe the matter was till Mason confirmed up and tried to kill Sophia and take Emily.
Issues lastly clicked into place for Emily round then, and from then on, she was as fierce as her mom.
The identical may go for Sophia’s greatest buddy. I beloved that she had this endearing girl whom she may open up to and be her true self with. And beneath every thing else on this movie, there was one thing to be mentioned in regards to the energy of friendship, particularly feminine camaraderie.
There was an unstated solidarity between them as girls and moms that was a gorgeous thread woven via the movie, making it pleasing.

She put her circle of relatives and life in danger making an attempt to assist her buddy, and he or she was a drive to be reckoned with even when she was afraid. I really like that each Sophia and Emily had these friendships that grounded them throughout such making an attempt instances.
Frankly, I may’ve completed with simply the ladies as heavy hitters on this regard fairly than having Steve round. Bless his candy coronary heart, he meant nicely so many instances, and he was clearly an ideal man, however most of the time, he was simply in the best way.
I needed him to take a seat nonetheless, keep put, and hold to himself till Sophia dealt with issues, however in his quest to assist, he simply turned a legal responsibility time and again.
It made me cringe when he tried to clock Mason, and as an alternative, he opened himself as much as a horrific beatdown that I used to be primarily grateful occurred off-screen.
As a aspect word, I beloved the route of this movie. There have been great and intricately filmed pictures and scenes.

However again to Steve, who was simply in the best way for many of the film, like a genderbent “Damsel in misery.”
I’m comfortable Steve survived as a result of he most likely ought to’ve been lifeless 100 instances over by the movie’s finish.
Outdoors of Penavega’s robust performances, I adored how completely menacing Tahmoh Penikett was as Mason. His earlier Lifetime movie had him reverse Teri Hatcher and taking part in a extra subdued function.
Nonetheless, after talking with him about that function final 12 months, one factor I genuinely appreciated was his ardour for the craft and the way transformative he’s when he takes on tasks.
He completely nailed it — delivering such a chilling efficiency as Mason that it was laborious to shake off when the credit rolled.

I additionally beloved that Riverdale’s Lochlan Munro was truly a superb man right here.
I’ve seen that man play baddies so usually that he had me second-guessing whether or not or not he was the FBI agent compromised, particularly when it appeared like they had been extra centered on discovering Sophia than making an attempt to seize Mason.
General, it was a powerful movie with nice performances. It labored as an motion thriller that took on a few of Lifetime’s traditional aptitude and even elevated it.
Over to you, Lifetime Fanatics. How do you’re feeling about this one?
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