The Secrets We Share – Pure Taboo – Director – Bree Mills – Cast – Lilly Bell, Penny Barber, Charles Dera, Max Fills, Tyler Cruise, Axel Haze.

***** 5 Stars

Once again Pure Taboo steps over the line with another mind bending look into the ways of control. In this presentation it is Penny Barber as Margaret who wields the bonds of domineering control over everyone in her home. When an exchange student played by Lilly Bell as Anna arrives the entire family is thrown into big mess because of the twisted and depraved mind of Margaret. Now everyone, including Anna, is pulled into this nightmarish situation that will affect everyone. This not for the faint of heart. As this film unfolds you will see why it has been nominated by both AVN and XMA for Best Feature Film, plus other award nominations.

Once Anna arrives at this surburban home to begin a two week stay for a summer immersion program. At first everything seems okay, Margaret acts as the perfect host, introduces her to her two stepsons, Henry and Paul ( Axel Haze and Tyler Cruise) and her real son John (Max Fills). Then she meets Margaret’s husband Edward (Charles Dera) who seems a little off but Anna just passes it off. She feels her two weeks will definitely be a different adventure. OMG! Anna has no idea! However, as the first few days goes by, she begins to feel something is just not quite right in this family. For one thing she just gets the impression that Margaret is just a bit too friendly with Henry and Paul is very distant with John. So, Anna decides to gain friendship with John and finds him a bit different but with friendly demeanor. As she gets to know him, she also begins to find out about his mother and the reasons she is so domineering and how everything changed even more after she married Edward.

When she sees some of John’s drawings Anna is set back a bit. They are drawings of his mother and they are a bit on the creepy side. Anna gets John to tell her the story of what happened with his mother and he tells her everything, including that he is sure she is having sex with Axel, a claim that rocks Anna. That claim becomes truth when later that night Anna catches a glimpse of Margaret and Henry going at it hot and heavy. This gives Anna more of an understanding and when she sees John next and with no one in the house, they get into some serious talk about life before it turns into a sexual connection between the two of them. Still there is more creepiness that takes place in this home and Margaret is behind it all. We see her and Edward and why he gives in to her every wish as Margaret gives him a time he will never forget.

Anna is, little by little, getting sucked into the weirdness of this family and while she may want to leave she can’t. When Edward confronts Anna wanting to have some fun with her, Lilly as Anna displays her full range of acting chops and makes this scene even more powerful than expected. This coupling is masterful in how it begins, happens and ends. Still there is one more dramatic scene where Margaret gets Anna to give into her. What takes place I will leave for you to find out, butI will say that this scene is so far over the top, there is no telling how you will react to it. In addition, there is one more part to this whole thing that happens in a dynamic you never saw coming.

It is no wonder that both Lilly Bell and Penny Barber, along with Charles Dera are all up for acting nominations. Bree Mills also is up for director noms as well and all of them are very deserving. To take this story idea and put it into motion the way they all did was one very creative, believable and dramatic package that certainly deserves all the accolades. All I will add here is, do not miss seeing this eye opening film.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN