Petals on the Wind Official TrailerIf you thought the Dollanger clan was messed up in Flowers in the Attic, just wait till you see them freed from their “prison” and fully blossomed in the real world. It’s so wrong! Yet these characters make it seem so right! Christopher and Cathy’s relationship continues to internally conflict audiences with their brother/sister romance.

V.C. Andrews’ popular book series continues to come alive through Lifetime’s original films. (For a refresher of the first film’s premise, refer to my previous review of Flowers in the Attic)

Petals on the Wind follows Christopher, Cathy and Carrie after their escape from Foxworth Hall as children. Just a heads up, if you grew fond of the actors who played these characters in the first film, expect to see a new and an older cast as they correlate with the 10 year time jump of this sequel. The siblings were actually quite lucky when they rode the bus to Florida. They were taken in and cared for by Paul Sheffield, a wealthy doctor who leaves his estate and inheritance to the kids after his passing. As the family attempts to put their shameful past behind them, they realize certain secrets can’t stay hidden for long. When Cathy tries to get over the forbidden feelings her and Christopher developed during their captivity as young teens, she forces herself in an abusive relationship with a fellow dancer. This leaves Christopher no choice but to move on with his life, while Carrie deals with her own struggles of getting through high school. But when tragedy strikes the Dollanger’s once again, Cathy returns to Foxworth Hall to confront her grandmother and seek revenge on her mother.

What can I say? This is one twisted story. It’s unbelievable, it’s sick, and shockingly enough, it’s entertaining as hell. Fans of the novel should be pleased to see how well they incorporated most of the book’s story-lines to fit this hour and half TV movie. The film is jam packed with so much drama it will have your head spinning going from one subplot to the next.

The romance isn’t bottled up in one little attic this time around. Cathy, who is now played by a sensual Rose McIver (The Lovely Bones), may be in love with her brother, but she’s able to heat up the television screen with ANY man she’s making love to. Sadly, that temperature is only one-sided when she is embraced with Christopher. Wyatt Nash (Pretty Little Liars) plays the stoic brother who gives a lifeless and disappointing performance. Luckily, if you keep your eyes on Cathy you might not be able to notice, and either way you still root for this disturbing relationship. An emotionally scarred Carrie is impressively performed by Bailey Buntain (Bunheads) and both Ellen Burstyn and Heather Graham reprise their roles as the children’s wicked grandmother and devious mom.

From the way things pan out in this movie, you can expect another film adaptation of the next novel, and most likely the entire book series. If you enjoyed Flowers in the Attic there is no doubt that you will once again relish in the guilty pleasure that is Petals on the Wind.

Rating: 3/5

Petals on the Wind premieres on Lifetime Monday May 26 at 9p ET/PT

“Petals on the Wind” Official Trailer

Originally posted on RedCarpetCrash.com