Director: Michael M. Scott
Writer(s): David Golden
Starring: Camila Mendes, Jessie T. Usher, Sasha Alexander and Elliott Gould
If there was one place I honestly didn’t expect Netflix to go, it was in the direction of Lifetime movies. I guess I didn’t expect them to get all Hallmark-y, either, but I guess that makes a little more sense: Everyone’s looking for a little holiday cheer come Christmastime, and who better to provide it than the world’s most popular streaming service?
But how can you explain their voluntarily willingness to create complete garbage? Okay, maybe it’s slightly “higher-end” than some of the stuff MarVista pumps, featuring semi-famous actors and higher production costs, but at the end of the day, it’s really all for nothing. Here we have their attempt at a Lifetime “thriller” that even comes complete with a bland, broadly descriptive title.
Admittedly, this one has a decent plot that takes some time to fully unfold: Katie and Adam are a couple struggling to make ends meet, which seems very authentic considering Camila Mendes, who plays her, stars in “Riverdale” a rather popular show on CW. I’m sure she’s struggling. Anyway, Katie constantly stresses over their financial situation, while Adam seems rather laid-back about it.
Then, Katie gets a job caring for Leonard, an elderly man who lives alone with no family or friends. The two hit it off and get along so well, that Leonard even offers her some money when she lets slip that her and her man are struggling financially. She is reluctant, but eventually turns him down. That doesn’t stop a $7,000 check from showing up; once again, the two are hesitant about what to do with it, but eventually agree to cash it.
Then, Leonard dies somewhat suddenly. While randomly going through his things, they stumble on an old storage chest, which has all of his life’s greatest memories. But, hidden in a compartment underneath that, are several large bills. (Well, the bills themselves are normal size, but the amounts on the bills are pretty high.) Totalling close to $100,000. Once again, they are confused about how to go about it, but figure if they let it go, it will just end up in a police station somewhere, so they opt to take it.
At least, that’s how they make it seem…yet a couple days later, Adam goes back to the house to retrieve the money, and gets smacked in the head by someone who’s apparently after it himself. Wait…if the police were there, don’t you think they would have searched the chest that was mere feet away from the deceased? I guess not.
Anyway, the hard-luck couple learn that, in his will, Leonard left everything to Katie. Now all of a sudden their theft of that money doesn’t seem all that illegal! However, all of their past actions - most of them innocent - come back to haunt them as a hard-nosed woman named Detective Chesler attempts to get to the bottom of the mysterious death. Things get even more grim for our lovable duo when another body turns up…it would seem as if Katie just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, every single time. Is there something she’s keeping from us, the viewer? Or are there outside forces beyond her control dictating the couple’s fate?
Oh yeah, and true to form for these movies, there are a few subplots going on at the same time to keep us on our toes: A handsome man named Mickey Hayden keeps popping by on random days in an attempt to buy the house from Katie. The more he gets denied, the more he seems to follow them around. And then there’s the additional body that turns up in Leonard’s home…who seemed to be holding a pouch of diamonds. Who’s in on the plot to undo Katie? And how far are they willing to go to accomplish that goal?
This is a pretty typical example of a B-grade thriller with an excessively ridiculous plot, most of which escalates because of poor communication: There are several points where Katie and Adam are under suspicion, but don’t even try to explain the truth, making things appear way worse than they ought to. The twists and turns are also pretty generic, feeling tacked-on and without much conviction.
The cast is alright, but they don’t stand a chance against a poor script and equally disappointing execution. It’s really a completely average attempt at a thriller, without much in the way of thrills or intensity. Even sadder: There really aren't many inadvertent moments of laughter, which I guess is giving the filmmakers' credit for not being totally incompetent. The issue is, that just makes it even more boring.
If you like your mysteries lukewarm and largely ineffective, Dangerous Lies would be a great way to kill a winter’s night.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING: 5/10
TRAILER
No comments:
Post a Comment