The Marriage Rule

In this rote domestic thriller from Monks Takhar (Nothing Without Me), Elle Graham starts to crack under the pressure of balancing work, new motherhood, and devotion to her picture-perfect husband. While drowning the stress of her copywriting job and constant criticism from her mother-in-law with copious amounts of booze, Elle checks in to a ritzy hotel for an overnight stay. After a night of wine and decadent food, she awakes to find the naked, bloodied body of her odious boss, Anton Bloch, next to her. With no memory of the events that unfolded hours earlier, she fears that the bite marks on her body and the soreness she feels are evidence that Anton raped her. Desperate, she calls Dom, who vows to do whatever it takes to keep her from being implicated in the crime—but as time goes on, Elle becomes less sure who’s on her side. The plot is light on genuine surprises, and the excessive timeline-shifting feels more like smoke and mirrors than skillful storytelling. Monks Takhar has done better before. Agent: Sabrina Taitz, WME. (May)