Brazen (film)

Brazen is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Monika Mitchell. It is based on Nora Roberts' 1988 novel Brazen Virtue. The film stars Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, and Matthew Finlan.

Brazen was released on January 13, 2022, by Netflix.

Plot
Well-known murder mystery novelist Grace Miller gets an urgent message from her sister Kathleen, who she hasn't seen for five years, to come help her. Literally catching the first flight available, she arrives very quickly.

They haven't talked about why she'd left her rich and powerful husband Jonathan Breezewood, and Kathleen is living in their childhood home in Washington D.C. She'd wanted a divorce from the misogynist, but he refused and her pill addiction prevented her from taking their young son Kevin. Now clean, she's teaching high school English and drama and needs Grace's support in her fight for full custody.

As the sisters co-own the house, Kathleen asks to mortgage her half. And she vaguely mentions she's looking into other things. When pressed, Kathleen talks of blackmail.

Homicide Detective Ed Jennings has a week off, so he's renovating his house, where he's Kathleen's next door neighbor. Ed and Grace meet and instantly connect. They meet up, she with the excuse of consulting with him for a story idea. Heading back next door to Kathleen's, Grace finds her lifeless body. Ed hurries over and helps the other police in the investigation, and lets Grace stay with him that night.

After searching the house, they discover that Kathleen had been working as a dominatrix for the website Fantasy Inc. Collecting her things from the house the next day, Grace goes over the details she'd observed with Ed, and he likewise answers some of her questions. Detective Jennings and his partner Ben learn that Kathleen's performer name was Desiree and she had many clients. As the company is small and family-run, access to the performers' info is limited.

Visiting Kathleen's school, a few students express their condolescences to Grace. She collects her things, finding the papers she'd planned to use against her husband. Outside the school Jerald Baxter, son of a senator, asks Grace what she knows about Kathleen's death, but she doesn't say. He tells her he'd overheard janitor Billy Sachs upset her one day. Grace approaches Billy, and he admits he'd discovered Kathleen was Desiree at his cousin Richie's, the webcam technician for Fantasy Inc. Another performer is killed, the body laid out similarly to Desiree's. This body was discovered as she was killed during a recorded session, and her client had called 911. Now they consider it to be a serial killing.

Grace approaches Jonathan, who insists he has a solid alibi. He also knew of her side job, and refers to her as a hooker, so she punches him. Grace tells him not to come to the funeral, but he disregards her. She confronts him there, and is observed by students. Jerald takes a moment by the casket. Reading the cards sent with the flowers, one is addressed to Desiree.

Grace approaches Captain Rivera, showing her the card and offering her services for the investigation. Citing help she gave to the NYPD which ended a case they'd worked on for months solved three days after she'd joined them, she offers herself as an asset. After Grace makes a few concise observations, the captain takes her on as a consultant.

Another performer is attacked, but this time she cuts the attacker, who gets away. She describes him as a tall white teen and his watch in detail. Returning to student Rand's house, they find a watch fitting the description, he has an injury on his arm and his size matches. He's taken in, but his blood type doesn't match. After Grace speaks to Billy again, he admits Rand and Richie are a couple, although he is still closeted.

That night Grace and Ed act on their attraction. At the next morning's debriefing, after Ben reports Rand's legit alibis, Grace proposes baiting the killer by posing as Desiree. In the meantime, after wrestling practise Jerald beats Rand severely after he says he was obsessed with Kathleen.

The MPDC shuts down Grace's sting operation as they have enough evidence on Jerald. While they are at the Baxters' to arrest him, having abandoned the sting operation, Grace faces him alone. She secretly leaves the computer on live feed and Jerald confesses to all, even a plot to kill his own mother. When Grace tells him his confession was recorded, the enraged teen goes ahead with trying to strangle her. Ed comes in and shoots the armed Jerald dead.

Grace and Ed celebrate their victory enjoying tea and each other.

Production
In January 2021, it was announced Alyssa Milano would star in a feature film adaption of Nora Roberts’ romance thriller Brazen Virtue with Monika Mitchell directing.

Following the announcement of Milano's casting as Grace, Nora Roberts' Facebook page was inundated with negative responses from sections of her fan base who were critical of Milano's role in the #MeToo movement and criticism of Donald Trump's administration. Roberts was quoted: ""

Release
The movie was released on Netflix's service January 13, 2022.

Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 13% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10.