Estranged

Adam Levins's thriller centers on a young woman named January (Amy Manson), suffering from amnesia and serious physical injuries after a terrible motorcycle accident, who returns to her family's isolated estate with her boyfriend in hopes that the surroundings might jog her memory—although she can't recall why she left the place years before and has not been back since. The family proves to be a strange bunch, and she begins to wonder whether they really are her parents and siblings. The answer is revealed as her stern father, dotty mother, cynical brother, and jealous sister show their true colors (the fastidious butler also becomes increasingly agitated), and January's plight grows more and more desperate. The eventual convoluted explanation concerning the family's past proves to be more contorted than credible, but even though Estranged ultimately promises more than it manages to deliver, the story is told with considerable style, and Manson is compelling as a woman trapped in a situation that she only haltingly comes to understand. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)