Desert Dweller
Although this movie is from 2012, I didn't discover it until Lifetime re-aired it this year, which is 2015! (I presume it has been shown in previous years as well).What a great film! I agree with everything mentioned in the positive reviews prior to mine.This movie has a riveting storyline and superb acting.However, one thing that confused me was that in a conversation with Shane, Brandon referred to Howie (that actor stole his scenes!) as an "ass", but Brandon turned to Howie for help when he realized that Shane had found out intimate details about his sex life with Erin (sorry, but IMHO, she is the one weak link in this movie; the actress was awful).Also, later in the movie, Brandon's mother, Caren, tells whoever it is that's investigating Howie having drowned in the bathtub that Howie was one of Brandon's best friends or maybe his best friend (she says something to the effect of *my son and one of his best friends both killed within a short time of each other* or *my son and his best friend ...*).I guess that Brandon and Howie bonded through being on the wrestling team, so they were close buddies, but overall, Howie's lifestyle was too wild for Brandon's taste.I'm glad I DVR'd this movie; I've watched it again and again ...! Somehow, it never gets old!
punishmentpark
A movie in the vein of 'The hand that rocks the cradle', though with plenty of differences. What stands out the most is that a good guy who you'd expect to live through the whole film, gets killed within a good half hour, but we all remember such a twist from 'Psycho' (1960).I can't say the movie is áll bad, but the story deserved a lot more attention than it got. It remains unclear how things really are with a couple of the main characters; is Brandon really the asshole his 'friend'(?) Howie makes him out to be? If so, you can't help but sympathize with Shane a little. Is Shane's father right about Shane having lied to get a scholarship? If so, how did Shane get the scholarship? All he has to be is a good wrestler, which he clearly is. Then there's the relationship between Caren and Phil, or whatever is left of it. The biggest questions surround the death of Brandon, though. Why don't his friends speak up about Shane's setting up a spy cam and such? It is all so unclear and unbelievable that anything else positive hardly changes anything.Sure, Kelly Lynch is fine to look at, as I'm sure is Robuck for some, and the film is even atmospheric at times, but altogether this is just a doozie. Bad acting all around, except for some okay moments here and there. It's hard to believe 6 out of 7 reviews are so very positive up until now...A very small 2 out of 10.
Uriah43
"Shane" (Nic Robuck) seems like a normal young man but under the surface he is a hot-tempered and mentally disturbed psychopath. As luck would have it, his new college roommate, "Brandon" (Brian Borello) makes the mistake of inviting him to his parent's house over a weekend. Once there, Shane takes the opportunity to embed himself deep into Brandon's family and like a malignant virus begins to spread destruction within it. Anyway, rather than spoil the film for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that for a film produced for "Lifetime" this one tested the boundaries just a bit when it came to a couple of passionate scenes. In that regard, I thought Kelly Lynch was terrific as the lonely and sexually starved housewife named "Caren". I also thought Nic Robuck did a pretty good job in his dark and volatile role as well. Now, while I would have preferred a format that was less restrictive this still turned out to be a slightly better than average movie in spite of it all.
bravocampbell
Okay, I'm not a Lifetime fan... in fact, I'm one who typically makes fun of the kind of drivel Lifetime plays. But I stumbled on this one early on while flipping around and got a little hooked. The tension is well-played, and even small roles (the wife's best friend, the detective) are interestingly portrayed and realistic. Not your typical LMN fare, but deep and dark enough to draw you in. The interplay between the roommates is key to that tension, and I found myself genuinely torn between my alliances to the two. Kelly Lynch, who hasn't changed an ounce since her turn in Road House, stole the movie in a lot of ways, and her performance clearly guided those around her. In short, I really enjoyed it, and I'm not embarrassed to say so...
AD
