Every now and then Netflix finds an unexpected hit on its hands. The smutty 365 Days was one — and now we have Deadly Illusions. And as you can tell from our Deadly Illusions review, it's not because it's a great movie. Quite the opposite, actually.
In our review we opine that it could have something with the topless woman in the thumbnail that you see on Netflix.
Or maybe it's the well-known actress who's biggest previous role involved her being a serial prude — and very much shedding that character in this film as she seduces the nanny.
Those are just guesses, though. Let's take a slightly deeper look at who stars in Deadly Illusions, and what to expect from them.
Deadly Illusions: Kristin Davis
You undoubtedly known Kristin Davis from her years as Charlotte on HBO's Sex and the City. (And she'll be returning to that role in a future series on HBO Max.) In Deadly Illusions, she plays Mary Morrison, a successful other of erotic thrillers who thought she'd put down the pen for good. But a new offer from her publisher is too good to pass up, and she gets back to work.
But Mary struggles with writer's block, likely over concern for her family. They've been her world while the kids grew up, and she's hesitant to accept any sort of help. On the other hand, it'd allow for more time with her husband, Tom, in addition to making a couple million dollars with the new book advance. And once Mary meets Grace — who seems perfect for her family — it makes the decision so much easier.
Davis' role in Sexy in the City was decidedly prudish. Her role in Deadly Illusions? Decidedly not, with a good bit of implied nudity, a brief bit of actual nudity — and the fact that her character spends much of the film seducing the nanny.
In addition to SATC, Davis also starred in Couples Retreat and Deck the Halls, along with numerous other TV appearances — most notably on the daytime soap General Hospital in 1991, and the nighttime soap Melrose Place from 1995-96.
Deadly Illusions: Greer Grammer
The nanny of Mary Morrison's affection is none other than Greer Grammer. (Yes, she's the daughter of Frasier's Kelsey Grammer.)
Grammer plays Grace, the nanny who comes out of nowhere (literally, it turns out, as well as figuratively) after Mary's had to go through a string of bad interviews with lesser millennials. Grace is plenty proper and believed to be prudish. She's hesitant to borrow Mary's swimsuits, or be fitted for new lingerie because Mary thinks what she's got on is too boring. But then she gives Mary some pretty serious signals that there's some fun to be had, and that's where things start to get a little twisted.
A tad shy of 30 years old when Deadly Illusions hit Netflix, Grammer's resume is a good bit shorter. But she's also had roles on distinguished series like The Middle and Awkward.
Deadly Illusions: Dermot Mulroney
A longtime actor who's been in all sorts of flicks, Dermot Mulroney plays Mary Morrison's husband, Tom. He does some sort of financial stuff and is nicely dressed for his troubles. But he apparently has made some sort of bad deal and blew a whole bunch of the couple's money. Whoops.
Tom seems like a decent enough guy. And while you'd immediately suspect that he'd be the ones to put the moves on Grace, it's actually his wife we need to be wary of. We think. Mary has a nightmare in which she catches Tom and Grace in the act in the kitchen. And it's probably only a nightmare and not real.
But then there's the part where Grace finds Tom and his bare butt in the shower, and the only way to take care of that is with a sharp pair of scissors.
Mulroney has been in scores of films, all the way back from 1988's Young Guns, to 1991's Career Opportunities, to Must Love Dogs, The Georgia Rule, Dirty Grandpa, a stint on Showtime's Shameless, New Girl, Arrested Development and more.
Deadly Illusions: Shanola Hampton
Shanola Hampton plays Mary Morrison's friend, Elaine. She's who Mary confides in after the initial sexual encounters with Grace. But she's also the only one who thinks Grace might not be everything she first appears to — and she ends up paying for it.
It's not a very big role, nor is it any more fleshed out than all the others in Deadly Illusions. (Which is to say, not much at all.) But it is pivotal to the story.
Like Mulroney, you've seen Hampton on Shameless, on Criminal Minds, Reba, Scrubs and more.
