This Never Happened – Tubi Review (2/5)

THIS NEVER HAPPENED on Tubi is a new horror movie. It’s a ghost story with a crime mystery. Also, the lead character can see dead people. Lots of potential really. Read our full This Never Happened movie review here!

THIS NEVER HAPPENED (2024) is a new Tubi horror movie and a MarVista production. While MarVista is a classic Lifetime production company, they have also produced some solid thrillers and are getting more into horror movies, it seems. Even their logo has a horror edge for this one!

For this horror movie, we’re dealing with a ghost and crime mystery. It had good elements and a strong premise, but the execution and storytelling was severely lacking. On the plus side, the runtime is only around an hour and a half.

Continue reading our This Never Happened movie review below. On Tubi from April 26, 2024.

An intriguing premise

When I’m about to watch a supernatural horror movie with a plot that revolves around a home, where a man and his friends used to hang out, then my femicide-senses are immediately tingling.

We meet Emily (María José De La Cruz) who is having terrible nightmares. She’s also medicated, so we’re made aware that there might be some mental health challenges for her. The story begins with her going from the US to Mexico City with her boyfriend, Mateo (Javier Dulzaides).

Mateo’s father recently passed away, so they’re going to his funeral, where Emily will also meet Mateo’s mother and his friends for the first time. Not the best way to meet someone, but Mateo insists it’s as good a time as any.

Before I go any further, let me just say that Mateo’s mother, Melora, was portrayed by Andrea Noli. She looked like a younger Betty Buckley and was just as sharp and funny. The most kitsch and entertaining character in This Never Happened.

Not that the rest of the cast wasn’t good. They were, for the most part. Especially María José De La Cruz as Emily was good. Andrea Noli was simply a true scene-stealer!

Anyway, as soon as Emily arrives at the house (which is more like a high-tech mansion), she starts seeing things. Things as in a woman, who seems to be an angry and violent spirit. Of course, this comes as absolutely no surprise, when we see how Mateo’s friends are entitled rich kids.

From a classic ghost to a toothy demon?

Is This Never Happened a good horror movie? Not really. It simply manages to get in the way of being a horror movie. It does, however, have some strong moments and so much potential to be better.

The decision to suddenly have the ghost sporting monster-like teeth was something that (all on its own) ruined the vibe for me.

Focusing on the actual crime that led to someone dying is much more interesting.

Obviously – well, for a horror movie, anyway – the title refers to a terrible thing that all those involved want to forget. Hence the “this never happened”-attitude that the event was to be forgotten and never spoken of again.

Watch This Never Happened on Tubi now!

The horror movie is directed by Ted Campbell who also directed the Tubi action-thriller Final Heist. The screenplay also comes from Ted Campbell who co-wrote it with Richard Pierce. The two also wrote Final Heist together. And I am not the least bit surprised that two men made this.

And hey, I recognize and realize that men can write good roles and stories for women. It just didn’t happen in This Never Happened. Ironically! In fact, they did a better job of doing this in their previous movie.

Also, it takes place mostly in Mexico City, but few Spanish words are spoken. Yes, despite every character except one being Mexican. It’s just weird and wrong. You would never be two native Spanish-speaking friends hanging out alone and continuing to speak English. Why would you?

Except to make it easier for an English-speaking audience to follow along. I thought (and hoped) that we had moved slightly beyond this. Just enough so that people would speak the most obvious language among themselves. But no. This is La Madre and Domino all over again!

This Never Happened is on Tubi from April 26, 2024.

Details

Director: Ted Campbell
Screenwriters: Ted Campbell, Richard Pierce
Stars: María José De La Cruz, Javier Dulzaides, Conny Cambambia, Juana Serrano, Gonzalo Zulueta, Vanesa Burciaga, Andrea Noli, Ana Laura Espinosa