by Louise Alston
In 2023, I directed two “Women-in-Peril” features for the insatiable thriller streaming market. The first of these, MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES released on Lifetime and Plex in February. Made in a short, sharp 13-day shoot, this movie gives you everything audiences look for in Woman-in-Peril movies: suspense, suspicion, fraud, and women!
For those who are new to the world of Women-in-Peril thrillers, they are a staple of the low budget streamer world. Coming off the tradition of TV “Movies-of-the-Week” (MOWs), they feature all sorts of suburban, woman-centred “it could happen to you” scenarios. From sexy husband-stealing surrogates to stalking cheerleader moms, to nannies with one thing on their minds (the house), there’s a slightly familiar Women-in-Peril thriller plotline out there for everyone.
Woman centred melodramas have been a staple of Hollywood since the start: fallen women, femme fatales and ‘pure’ women in morally ambiguous circumstances.
These days, Women-in-Peril films are made in bulk in an assembly line fashion by production companies contracted to streamers. They end up on platforms like Lifetime, Hallmark, Tubi and Prime Video. But, like the old studios, making crime dramas and poverty-row cowboy films (by the yard), these low budget and largely non-union films are an opportunity for filmmakers to hone their craft. CrossFit for filmmakers if you will. They are high suspense, a little bit campy and an opportunity to direct high stakes scenes with emotional melodrama.
Although scripts for these films might feel a little by-the-numbers, there are cliches for a reason. They work! Occasionally, a particularly fantastic script comes along, like the one penned by Matt Fitzsimons, screenwriter of MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES. I was lucky enough to pair this with the opportunity to work with excellent and experienced crew such as DP Olivia Kuan and Designer Starla Christian and wonderful actors (including Kristi Murdock, Christina Licciardi and Adam Harper). When things go your way in these departments, it gives you a chance to aim high.
In the end, the execs were very happy with the film we made. Our movie was released on the Lifetime main channel. Which, I’m told, means they’re very happy!
For those of you unfamiliar with Women-in-Peril films, here is an A-Z guide to bring you up to speed.
A – Antagonist
Is it the husband, the neighbour, the stalking nanny? Whoever it is, the antagonist is ruining our heroine’s life. Adam Harper plays the husband you love to hate to perfection in MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES. Handsome but vaguely untrustworthy. He’s a 10 but has seven wives. What’s a girl to do?
The character you think is the antagonist might not end up being who you thought it was. There might be an end of second act bait and switch, where our heroine’s true enemy turns out to be someone she didn’t suspect. She might have had a secret identical twin the whole time!
In a woman-in-peril thriller, you can guarantee the antagonist is going to come to a satisfying end. Unlike your evil identical twin in real life, which can be a whole thing.
B – Based on a true story
It’s always better to have a “true story” element. If you’re too cheap to buy life rights, simply being “inspired” by true life can be enough. Apparently, MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES is inspired by a true story. But I have never been able to find exactly what true story. It must be a pretty arm’s length “inspiration”. Nonetheless. It feels familiar.
We shot the movie in beautiful, sumptuous houses owned by houseproud Southern ladies in the town of Ackworth in Georgia. When I told them the plot, they would gasp and tell me they’d heard about something similar happening irl (just two towns over!).
C – Crew
Our crew were mostly locals who’d made several of these films before for a variety of directors. This made for great cohesion and fun times on set.
Designer extraordinaire, Starla Christian came in from Kentucky and fabulous DP Olivia Kuan flew in from LA. We all stayed in the “production house” together and shared groceries!
D – DP
Olivia Kuan has made lots of streamer thrillers. She knows how to add tension to the frame. Cool headed and smart, her lighting for MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES gives the film neo noir vibes. Special mention to the way she framed the cauldron-like flames of the fire pit to give the scene coven energy!
Kuan is one-to-watch in the directing space, too. Her recent documentary, THE HERRICANES about a professional women’s tackle football league in the ‘70s won the Documentary Spotlight Audience Award at SXSW in 2023.
E – Edit
Alex Gans has put together lots of TV thriller films. I was so lucky to get someone working at his level on our little movie. On MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES, he was deft, insightful, and encouraging. Special mention to his temp music library and advice!
F – Forty-something
Ever wondered where all the forty-something women actors are? Well, some are making women-in-peril films! This is the one place where forty something leading women are the heart of the action. She’s the woman in peril. It’s her show. When you have a film with seven wives, there are HEAPS of actresses in their prime on set, and it’s wonderful.
G – Georgia
Low budget production tends to be made in states that aren’t California. States like Georgia and New Mexico have created tax incentives to attract production far away from Hollywood.
Georgia offers everything you could want in Southern charm. Forests, farms, small towns, big towns, and big cities. Well, one big city, but it has trams left over from the 1996 Olympics! Our small-town location offered a selection of American dream houses within walking distance of each other.
We were all mindful of a recent news story where a woman pulled up in the wrong driveway somewhere in Georgia and got shot. So, when an AD tells you to get off the neighbour’s lawn, you better pay attention! But city dweller anxiety aside, everyone was welcoming and warm. At one point, we had to take down an American flag from one of the houses because it would be a bit weird if ALL the houses had an American flag flying. Wouldn’t it?
H – Heroine
She’s beauty and she’s grace, she’s Mis United States. She’s a suburban mom, a single girl (who will be a great mom one day) or she’s a pure of heart college girl (who could be your daughter). She probably prays. She would feed the (deserving) homeless. She’s lovely and she doesn’t deserve for anything bad to happen to her. But when it does, she’s going to use all her strength to overcome!
MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES was graced with Kristi Murdock in the lead role. This woman can act! Women-in-Peril actresses bring ALL the tears. Respect.
I – Ideas
Ideas for scripts generally come via execs who sometimes ask for pitches from trusted writers. The writing of these is farmed out to freelance screenwriters. Writers tend to be people who can be trusted to get the vibe of the Woman-in-Peril brand quickly and by the numbers.
J – Jump on a plane
I’m not sure if someone dropped out or if I was a last-minute ring-in to direct MY HUSBAND’s SEVEN WIVES, but I got a text on the way to the gym. “Louise, I have a film for you, starting next week.” I dropped everything and got on a plane. Two days later, I was in Georgia scouting locations. I guess sometimes it happens like that!
K – killer
There needs to be a dead body at the mid-point. Always.
L – Lifetime
Lifetime, Prime and new players in the free to air streaming space (eg Tubi, Plex and Xeno) are where you’ll find women-in-peril films. Lifetime has branded itself on the genre so much that people will tell you they’re doing a “Lifetime movie” to describe the low budget Women-in-Peril format.
Constantly evolving and responding to their audience, these streaming platforms are receiving data constantly. I think the success of THE TINDER SWINDLER helped execs conclude that it was time for a romantic con-man film like MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES.
The Women-In-Peril genre is always changing and responding to what women are supposed to be afraid of. But it’s also changing with the role of American women, including at what point and how she fights back.
I had a phone call with the development exec Barbara Fisher before production and she said that with this film, she was interested in trying something with a touch of women’s empowerment where women get together against a common enemy.
M – Male lead
Is he good? Is he bad? We’ll see, won’t we? Stay to the end to find out if he gets his comeuppance.
N – Number one on the call sheet
Female lead is the number one. She’s the “My” in MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES. Number 2 is often the dude, the “husband”, the stalker, the voyeur neighbour. But often, the antagonist is another woman. For example, the teen nanny trying to sleep with the working woman’s husband or the evil mother-in-law who wants number one dead.
In MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES, the number 2 on the call sheet was another wife. Not an antagonist, but a sister in the fight against their con-man husband.
O – Overnight
Usually, on a Woman-in-Peril movie schedule, there is at least one overnight shooting “day”. Usually a Friday night, lasting until Saturday morning. This is called a “Fraturday”! The overnight is a long haul. DP Olivia Kuan describes it like this: “we all go through our own character arcs of stocking up on coffee, being exhausted anyway, getting into fights, and then forgetting all about it and loving each other in the end. It’s the real trenches of Lifetime movies.”
P – POV
Shooting a thriller means you must get the POV shot. Our heroine is walking down the hall, we need to get the shot of what she sees walking down the hall. She looks in a bedroom, get that glance. She hears something behind her and turns suddenly, you must make sure that the POV shot isn’t forgotten! I love script supervisors. But in MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES, we shot without a script super! It was all on my lil brain. Thankfully, I got everything needed. Except one shot…. hopefully no one notices. Don’t tell anyone.
Q – Quick shoot
13 days on set makes for some clever strategy with locations, scheduling, and creative choices. Under the leadership of 1st AD Lee Coleman, the set ran beautifully. The only schedule trasher that we had was when we had to change locations last minute. The long distances between unit, hair-and-make-up and the bathroom for crew members, meant that we went over time. I HATE TO GO OVERTIME. Maybe I squatted behind a tree for a “bush wee”? Only because I’m an artiste.
R – Red Herring
The scary dudes in the black car following my heroine around town in MY HUSBAND’S SEVEN WIVES are scary. But are they a red herring? I’m not telling.
S – Suspense
The close-up on the face, hand gripping her keys between her fingers as a weapon, steps on the floor. OMG, what’s that sound?
Stakes, suspense, tension, and release. I seriously think that thrillers and rom coms are the same… but different.
T – Twist
Why would I tell you?
U – Union
The fact that Georgia is a “right to work” state, makes it possible for non-union actors and crew to get their feet wet and build a portfolio. Or even build a career in the non-union production world. These films are usually FICORE which is non-union production. SAG members can’t be in them, but SAG eligible actors can be. It’s complicated.
Lots of Hollywood actors have local representation in their home states. At home, they can be cast as locals. This can be a hack for newbie actors to get cast in good scenes and show their range. The key to this is building a reputation with the casting director, who will put you up for the role. I like to look at the reels and auditions of everyone that the casting person sends me. Filmmaking is 90% casting.
The things that stand out for me are soap opera and theatre credits. If you’ve done a small arc on General Hospital or a season of Shakespeare in the Park in Atlanta, I know you can work, and I know you can act.
When casting non-union locals for supporting roles, it’s not just the audition tape. It’s a combination of your vibe, natural ability, look for the role, reel, resume. I’ve cast plenty of people who have done little or nothing before, just because an actor’s vibe is perfect.
For me, I don’t know what I’m looking for until I see it. Others cast for what they see in their heads. Sorry if that is not helpful.
V – Violence
Ever wondered why women love true crime podcasts? I think Women-in-Peril films are vibrating on the same fixation. I think it’s something to do with actualising the trauma of living through hostile patriarchy. Or it solves the atmospheric anxiety of the modern age with a satisfying narrative? I dunno.
W – Women-In-Peril
Watch out lady, everything you know is a lie. Your life’s about to fall apart!
Female transgression is a bitch, and she’s probably the one who’s trying to kill you.
My favourite films from this genre are THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE and SINGLE WHITE FEMALE.
X – ex-husband
Is he the stalker? It might be the neighbour? Or the creepy, sexually harassing night school teacher? Did he really attack the surrogate who’s moved into your house? You should know to be scared. Because that’s the world we live in, lady.
Y – Yes!
Is it trashy and campy? Yes! John Ford made 100 films. Not all of them were The Searchers. But do they engage you and tell a great yarn? Yes! If you get offered one to work on, say yes!
Z – Zzzzz
Are people paying attention to these movies? Are they ambience for people working from home? The die-hard fans who have started following me on socials are really into the camp of Women-in-Peril. Maybe most of my audience will be snoozing by the time we meet wife number four? Our cosy little well-made melodramatic thriller might be the comforting “second screen” while people scroll through news posts about the downfall of the West? In which case, I am proud to offer soothing balm of a happy ending.
Louise Alston is an Australian director working in the USA. Her latest releases are My Husband’s Seven Wives on Lifetime plus Wedding in the Hamptons and Three Dates to Forever on Peacock.
