One of the best parts of the film is the movie title. The graphic design does a nice job in showing the two faces of Chris Watts, and how the two faces don’t line up. Skillfully represented.
The whole film basically cuts back and forth to Watts “remembering” the events leading up to the murders while he’s being questioned by Tammy Lee. In other words, 90% of the film is based on the First Confession.
The actor playing Agent Coder also plays a very, very secondary role to Tammy Lee [acted by the same woman who played the victim in the pit in The Silence of the Lambs].
After the title image, the scene reverts to Watts doing his infamous Sermon on the Porch. While he’s talking, dogs bark in the background. Not bad. Same setting, same words, same clothing, same basic body language. Even the actor appears less nonchalant than Watts did during his Sermon on the Porch. Even though he’s acting and didn’t commit triple murder, this is an irony in itself
Once done with the interview, we something we haven’t seen before. Watts walks into the door and sits on the staircase. He’s alone. He sits there for some time. We see the light moving through the windows beside the front door, showing the movement of time. Cut back to the interrogation cubicle, and Watts is introduced to Tammy Lee, who let’s him know what he’s in for if she chooses to lie to him during the polygraph.
It’s at this point that the chronology starts to settle down into something slightly resembling a narrative.
Now let’s deal with the mistakes.
#1 Heaviness in the pregnancy announcement is missing.
Deeter is in the room, and at Watts’ feet when Shan’ann announces she’s pregnant. She’s wearing the right shirt, and he’s dressed the right way too. But this was the first sign of the filmmaker’s poor intuitive grasp of the subject material. Not only is the venue in the house wrong for where the spiel was recorded, Chris Watts appears genuinely excited and genuinely happy about the pregnancy, far more so than the real Watts did. The actor does a convincing scene, appearing enthusiastic about his movie-wife’s fictitious pregnancy. What was needed was for the heaviness in the dramatized Sermon of the Porch to be more manifest here, and for the nonchalance and lightness here, to be more evident in the Sermon on the Porch. Where the fake Watts says, “I guess, I guess when you want it it happens, ” there’s no trace of the awkward Chris Watts. Instead, it seems natural and even charming when acted out by this actor.
#2 Watts at the well site.
A lot is crammed into this scene. Watts describes his weight loss, and exhorts his co-worker to contact his wife and start Thriving. He loses his ring and his co-worker, retrieving it, says, “Forgot something?” His co-worker also mentions “Nikki” in the context of safety, and hands Watts a gift card to treat his wife. Watts also mentions his wife being pregnant and hoping for a boy [an aspect supposedly kept secret from everyone at work except his boss]. In this scene Watts appears way too balanced, confident and chatty. Gift cards at Anadarko [which is never named in this film, and the well site and four white tanks are nothing like CERVI 319] are not allocated as actual gifts or favors, but are earned as a result of achieving safety milestones.
#3 Nichol Kessinger gives Watts her card.
Shan’ann meets Nickole, is on her phone most of the time. Leaves for North Carolina in the middle of the day.
We see Watts turning to face his house and the camera zooms in, making the house loom over him and swallow him up. This is arguably the best scene the film.
The way the story is staged is the moment after Shan’ann leaves and Watts is left alone, he meets Nichol Kessinger and things happen instantly.
#4 Chris Watts is home alone watching porn.
#5 He’s bored, so he calls up Nichol Kessinger.
#6 And they meet up in a wooded area.
#7 Where she finds out he’s a dad, and he’s married – but still wants to see him.
#8 “I’m out with the guys.” Watts hangs up on Shan’ann.
#9″Come here.” The assertive Watts ravishes his mistress in the backroom of a restaurant.
#10 “Are you judging me?” “Yes, I’m judging you!”
It just doesn’t sound like Watts, does it?
Note the sleep mask dangling from the bed post in the background.
#11 Visit to the Watts Home – minus Cindy, and minus Nut Gate.
#12 A distressed Shan’ann calls Watts to say…she doesn’t want the kids sleeping over at his folks.
She doesn’t say why.
#13 Deeter Gate – minus Deeter.
Nichol visits the Watts home. She doesn’t go unstairs and Deeter is nowhere in sight. She says, “Why would you want to leave all of this,” and then, in tears, asks Watts to take her home.
#14 Nichol Kessinger stalking Chris Watts’ Facebook page.
Not Shan’ann’s?
Does she know Shan’ann’s pregnant?
#15 Watts reconciles with Kessinger by picking her some yellow wildflowers.
#16 They go camping next to a lake, and after Googling when to say I love you, he tells her he loves her.
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