Such a Good Mom

Spiro (Full) takes an unflinching look at postpartum depression in this uneven domestic thriller. Romance author and Martha’s Vineyard resident Brynn Nelson, overwhelmed with fatigue as her body recovers from her recent C-section, can barely keep her thoughts straight. When the body of local waiter Cecilia Buckley is discovered on nearby North Point Beach, Brynn is shocked; she saw Cecilia regularly at the golf club frequented by her husband, Ross, and his family. Brynn’s curiosity blossoms into desperation when Ross is charged with Cecilia’s murder and hauled off to jail. Ross’s cryptic parting words to Brynn—“I need you to find the orange sun”—sending her scrambling for exonerating evidence. As Brynn digs deeper into Cecilia’s death, the demands of new motherhood fray her nerves, launching a frightening spiral that leaves her questioning her loyalties and instincts. Spiro’s portrait of Brynn’s breakdown is evocative and affecting, but the mystery plot stalls out, taking a backseat for too long before the narrative arrives at an uninspired conclusion. It’s a letdown. (Apr.)