Majorthebys
Charming and brutal
GarnettTeenage
The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.
Mabel Munoz
Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
claire_harley24
A good film overall. It generally follows the book but in a different order. It should have followed more closely because the film missed out on vital things, like what happened when they left, how they met the doctor and the relationship between Cathy and Paul. Their first few years at the family home with doctor Paul and how Cathy came to dance and actually meet Julian. Also where Cathy is in New York that was 5 ish years too late, as that happened a lot younger in the book. Carries incident in school where she's locked in the room happened when Carrie was around 9 where she was then removed from school. The film doesn't really explain what happens with Julian and why Jory is called that.I liked the fact that they showed Corine in her house trying to hide the attic and the grandmother telling everyone about the poisoning of Cory in the first film/book.Overall a good film but it was spoilt by the fact I've just finished the book and it wasn't directly following the book.
sophie
I absolutely loved this film.I don't normally enjoy sequels more but this is brilliant and better than the first. I have been a fan of the book series for many years and have read them several times, then by accident I came across the films. I watched the first one and was impressed when it did the book justice but I still felt there were parts that could have been portrayed better. But this film blew me away. I would watch it again and again. I felt it showed the book well and did miss much, obviously there are still part that have to be missed due to film not being able to be hours and hours long but the way they cut it to make it into a film I felt was great. The only part I was disappointed at was the beginning. The book continues from the previous where as the film started a little bit way through so you did miss little bits but if you haven't read the books you wouldn't know and if you have you would understand why they missed it out as it didn't really hold any importance.
farishthas
After watching LIfetime's attempt at the second novel to screen, it seems as if they are improving...Since I read petals on the wind first, it is my favorite book of the series, mostly because Cathy is brilliant at her revenge plotting against her mother! Unfortunately the movie doesn't pay enough homage to characters like Paul Sheffield but thats alright since we get to see Heather graham portray Corrine exquisitely! She has now proved to be the right choice to play this character, she was wicked and charming and nutty in all the right proportions! Nash and McIver were wonderful, their creepy chemistry was enthralling to say the least. I didn't enjoy the addition of Sarah too much but it was a wonder to see the adoration and torture in the eyes of Christopher for his love of Cathy. Julion was disappointing but entertaining nonetheless. Carrie's character though short lived was done quite well even though her death didn't really tug at my emotional strings.In conclusion I think that Nash, McIver and Graham were a delight and they are the main reason that I gave this movie a 7. I am intrigued to see how they will bring Jory and Bart's outlook to the screen in If There Be Thorns...
Crazynat34
When we were young women hiding our VCA books and only daring to read by night light when everyone had gone to bed, never at that time by any stretch of the imagination could it be a conceivable idea to actually transfer those story lines to film. Considering the sheer amount of content in Petals it was incredible they were able to piece so much of it into the 2 hour slot. Unfortunately, they left out some important "gasp" moments from the book such as the miscarriage. I also felt they did a good job with the nature of the content considering it is a made for TV movie. Overall, the writers and director did a great job for what they had to work with. It was a great way to bring the genius of Andrews to an audience that hasn't read her books. If the the book enthusiast are looking for an exact account then you should know from the beginning there is no way to make a movie that captures what the book draws from the imagination. After all most people are much more comfortable reading story's like the Dollanganger Series in the privacy of their own minds.