Those intimate scenes in 'Deadly Illusions' weren't so intimate in real life

The Netflix Top 10 is sort of like, well, any Top 10 list. Once you're own, you hate to see yourself fall off. Nothing lasts forever, though, and so itwas a little interesting to see a renewed marketing push for Deadly Illusions hit the old inbox. 

The erotic thriller — which as you undoubtedly read in our Deadly Illusions review really wasn't all that erotic or thrilling — found itself atop the Netflix Top 10 in March 2021. (A more thrilling and erotic option, Who Killed Sara?, is currently No. 1.) The movie stars Kristin Davis, Greer Grammer and Dermot Mulroney and sees Davis' Mary Morrison come out of post-author life to write one more novel. But that means she'll need help with the kids, which is where Grammer's Grace comes in.

But as you've no doubt already figured out, the too-good-to-be-true nanny is, in fact, too good to be true, and a tryst ensues. 

What Deadly Illusions lacked in substance it most definitely made up for in cinematography. It's shot far better than the end result (or our review) may lead you to believe, and director Anna Elizabeth James deserves all credit for that. (She also served as producer on the film.) 

And that brings us to a tranche of behind-the-scenes pictures from Deadly Illusions have just dropped. They helpfully remind us a few things. First is that we need more female directors in the business. Full stop. 

Second is that moviemaking is hard and requires and whole lot of people doing a whole lot of different things. Sometimes those things line up (either organically or through the will of the folks leading the project). And sometimes they don't. Or sometimes they line up  better than others. 

And they're also a great reminder that what we see on screen is wildly different than what things looked like in the moment. Take that intimate lakeside picnic scene between Grace and Mary. What the camera sees is just the two of them in varying states of seduction. (Who's seducing who is sort of the point of the movie.) Zoom out just a bit, however, and the reality of the crew and the surroundings set in.

It's always fascinating to see, and more than a little intimate in its own right. Sometimes watching the watchers can be compelling, too. 

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