Inconceivable is for the movie fan who loves a Daytime TV story with a top-tier cast. Just Cage’s presence led me to believe something. Everything about this screamed mediocrity, but I thought I would get something slightly odd instead. I can tell you it delivered.
If you’ve never scrolled through a streaming platform looking for something to watch, this next statement will not relate. With a poster fit for any B-Movie bargain bin and a cast that made me think, “Is that Nic Cage?” Then I noticed Nicky Whelan and Gina Gershon. The narrative was blatantly obvious. An idiot married couple let some hot friend live too close. I settled in.
The backstory by “Drugstore Cowboy” writer Chloe King performs its first trick. It introduces Katie as she flees the scene of a struggle. Barry (played by the director Jonathan Baker) tries to stop her. He lies bleeding on the floor. Before we learn his fate, the narrative skips forward.
Katie has changed the way she looks. Her daughter is older. She quickly makes friends with a playground group of moms. Suddenly, a boozy night turns into Katie moving into the guest house. Angela and Brian need a mural in their daughter’s room. They will let the artist move in there for free. Katie of course, is a brilliant artist. She agrees and moves in.
None of what anyone ever does in a trashy Lifetime style drama ever make a lot of logical sense. But that’s ok if what you’re looking for is a bonkers load of tropes, twists, and secrets.
Mother of Movies won’t spoil the ending here, scroll to the end for a full explanation.
Katie makes quick work of assimilating into the family. She eases her way into being just what Angela needs. Angela needs someone to look after the kids. This allows her to return to work as a doctor.
Brian (Nic Cage) is a smooshy potato that has but one desire. He’s not actually a potato, but his part is really uninteresting so a potato could have played Brian. All he wants in life is to fill his house with kids in every room. But alas, his pesky wife keeps having miscarriages.
Her only daughter Cora is the result of an egg donor. Sadly, even though she is a great doctor, she’s not a great baby maker (actual dialogue.)
If you make a bet at the beginning of Inconceivable about how this story goes, there is a high chance you will be right.
Despite being largely predictable, you’ll never guess the additional Nic Cage flavoured goodness. Not that he had anything to do with it, but for some reason I imagine Cage chooses roles where he has editing rights. The final scene is wild.
Additionally, the title is the first time his on screen wife Angela and him have done a movie since Faceoff. I expected something goofy. And again it delivered.
Love your films slow and trashy with a twist? Try Mother’s Instinct / The Weekend Away or Tin and Tina next.
The cinematography is standard fare mise-en-scéne in a laid back subtle atmosphere. It’s always the editing that tends to highlight things being choppy narratively. It’s that Daytime TV flavour. The upside is that this saves having to fast forward the boring bits.
For example, her kid and Angela’s kid become friends in a total of two minutes. She gets invited over for wine. We don’t need to see how awkward that would all be, so it’s skipped over. They are now besties and them all living together is the only logical avenue.
Being primarily in Brian and Angela’s home creates an uneasy dynamic with each player always around. Great work is made of suspicious glances, sleight of hand and obvious manipulation from our main sociopath Katie.
Performances are great and give plausibility to scenes that wouldn’t fly without them.
Is Inconceivable Worthy of a One Time Watch?
Inconceivable is watchable and the end of the movie (outlined below) is hilariously twisted. Throw your law book out the window for this one. Daddy Cage wants a son, and when he gets one, he doesn’t bow out.
Inconceivable is rated
3 Where’s the rage, Cage? out of 5
What Happens At The End Of Inconceivable?
Katie sets her plan in motion by first taking a job at the clinic where she donated her eggs. She finds out the addresses for the her three babies and spies on the families. She finds one of the mothers drinking in the bathtub while the baby cries. She kills her.
Next, Katie goes after Angela and finds out she is planning to go back to work. Unhappy about that she sticks around becoming the nanny and Angela loses another baby.
When she is better, she decides to use one last egg and use a surrogate. Katie sleeps with Angela’s friend and when they ask her to be the surrogate she kills Monica.
Angela becomes suspicious and Brian and all her friends and family think she is crazy. She gets proof of the ulterior motive.
Why Did Katie Do It?
Katie is the egg donor and has been tracking down the moms. She only wanted to donate to mothers who desperately wanted a baby. If she deemed them ungrateful, she took the baby back.
She was unable to have any more children due to an unsuccessful procedure during a donor egg extraction. She wanted to know if the babies she gave up are better off with her.
When she decides that life as a doctor impeded on her mothering ability, Katie set her plan in motion. She successfully delivered the baby thinking she had killed Angela.
Brian comes to the rescue when Angelas doctor friend divulges that the babies are all Katies. He tells Katie she is dead. At the end of Inconceivable Brian lets her see the baby and then locks her out of the nursery at the hospital. In the final moments Angela walks in and they all hug as Katie realised that she’s been tricked she is going to jail.
Produced by Bakers Entertainment Group. Inconceivabel is streaming free on Tubi.
