Every Secret Thing

[Amy Berg's] instincts about how to pace a true story serve her well with this imaginary one, and so do the performances by Ms. Fanning and especially Ms. Macdonald.

Which one of these women is the most irredeemable? Coming to grips with that question is what gives the flawed but fascinating Every Secret Thing its power to haunt.

Every Secret Thing is a small, well-crafted film with a few chilling moments and some fine performances, but it’s a muddled, pedestrian crime thriller.

It’s described as a smart, suspenseful psychological thriller, but there’s nothing smart about it, and as an alleged thriller, when the mysteries are explained in a twist finale, it could use a psychologist of its own. The only suspense is waiting to see if Diane Lane’s reputation will survive.

Despite the strenuous efforts of all involved, Every Secret Thing never manages to overcome its overwhelming air of artsy pretension.

What went wrong? How did so many talented people devote their time and energy to a film that came out this generic, dull, and flat?

Diane Lane has about 15 minutes of underwritten screen time as Helen, Alice’s tart, art-teacher mother. A wooden Elizabeth Banks is the detective who cracked the original case and now heads up the new one. She thought she could handle it. She can’t.