The Wrong Friend (2018 Lifetime)

The Wrong Friend (2018 Lifetime)

Stars: Vivica A. Fox, Li Eubanks, Jared Scott

Listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast here!

Synopsis (via Lifetime)

The moment Riley meets Chris, she thinks he is handsome, charming, and affectionate. He seemed perfect, but after a party at his house, Riley sees that Chris has a darker side. His adoration turns to obsession, her dream into a nightmare, and she must figure out what he is after.

Thoughts

The movie starts with a young couple having a sexy time. That doesn’t last long because the woman starts screaming, “no and stop.” Cut to the assaulted woman in the hospital, refusing to answer questions. She has bruises on her arm and has been through a traumatic event.

Next, we head to Kennedy High School. Ms. Vivica A. Fox plays Principal Atkins, who is welcoming a new student named Chris. His family is very wealthy and pay his way into the school after a “troubled past.” Chris wastes no time being a creeper in the worst sunglasses I’ve ever seen. He pops out from behind a tree and introduces himself to seniors Riley and Kim. He can tell they are popular girls and invites them to a pool party at his house; he says they can urge the rest of the school. (I should point out here Chris is one of the most monotonous actors I’ve ever seen. He is cute tho!)

The pool party happens, and it means lots of twunks in their bathing suits. Riley’s boyfriend, Matt, is the hunkiest twink of them all. The couple gets into an argument, and Riley tells him to go to hell VERY dramatically. (I love it.) Meanwhile, Chris roams around the party in a little bathing suit and terrible sunglasses. He makes a roofie cocktail and brings it to Riley. She declines, but he is pushy. Riley caves and gets very sloppy. Kim notices her friend slurring her words and offers to take her home, but eventually leaves the very intoxicated Riley with Chris.

Chris drags Riley upstairs and put her to bed. He takes pictures of her, and she tells him to stop, but can barely stay awake. When she passes out, Chris hovers over her as the music swells. I’m very uncomfortable!

The next morning Riley wakes up extremely hungover in her bed. She calls Matt to apologize for fighting at the party. Her mother comes home with groceries and asks her daughter when she got back. Riley remembers that she DOSEN’T REMEMBER, but doesn’t seem too concerned. She puts on a killer outfit and lounges by the pool. (While Chris spys on her with his Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany’s sunglasses.)

At school the next day, Matt shows Riley pictures of her with Chris. He doesn’t forgive her, even though she has no recollection of the photos getting taken. Riley confronts Chris and calls him sick. He tells her that they had a good time and denies sending the pictures. Riley receives the photos sent to her and threatens to go to the police. Chris wants to start over with Riley. She smacks him and tells him that he is insane.

Disturbed and feeling helpless, Riley explains everything to Matt. He is a supportive boyfriend and promises to take care of it. He takes Riley back over to Chris’s house and tries to intimidate him, but it doesn’t work. Shirtless Chris stands in front of a mirror and punches himself in the face over and over. Then he presses charges against Matt for attacking him.

Riley and Matt get taken into custody and interrogated by the police. (With their parents.) The investigator shows them the evidence of Riley and Chris hooking up. When she tells him she was incapacitated, the detective asks her if she has any proof and writes it off as high school drama.

Speaking of drama, Riley’s mom rips into her daughter for making destructive decisions. She doesn’t side with her daughter. Chris is watching the argument from outside the house. In the middle of the night, he facetimes Riley and shows her that he is in her home. She calls the police who can’t find him in the house and doesn’t believe her either.

Riley, Kim, and Matt devise a plan. Kim and Riley pretend to get into a fight for Chris’s benefit. Then Kim will befriend Chris, and they can get revenge. The idea works a little too well. Chris sees the fight and brings Kim to his house, where they have a heart to heart on the bed. The conversation is interrupted by Chris’s car alarm. When he rushes out to see his car has been vandalized, Kim takes pictures of Chris’s journal and things on his laptop.

The items Kim finds aren’t too revealing. They do see an old yearbook, and Matt calls a rival football player from the school. The football player meets the three amigos and tells them about the rape at the beginning of the movie. Riley then tracks down the woman’s address. At the house, Riley meets Lisa’s mother, who informs her that Lisa recently killed herself because Chris got off with a warning, and she was bullied relentlessly. (Very dark twist here.) Lisa’s mother is 100% the best actress in this movie.

Kim makes another date with Chris and asks him about Lisa. Chris acks like he doesn’t know who Lisa is and then becomes suspicious of Kim’s motives. He attacks her and tells her to watch herself. Kim runs off; surprisingly, she isn’t murdered! Oh wait, she gets mugged while walking home from work at night. Nope, still not killed.

Ms. Vivica A Fox makes her third brief appearance in this film. Riley accuses the principal of knowingly admitting a rapist into the school. Riley tells her to take a good look at Kim and then a good look at herself.

Riley gets some legal paperwork from Lisa’s mother and discovers that the nurse who did the medical examination on Lisa was… Riley’s mother. This is Chris’s motive for coming after Riley.

Chris breaks into Riley’s house again while she is taking a bath. He first attacks Riley’s mother and holds her hostage with a knife. Riley comes down and tries to reason with him. Chris shouts and is very sweaty; I’m glad to see he is not so monotonous now! Riley’s mother has a scape in her pocket, as nurses do, and stabs Chris. Riley pulls out a gun and shoots Chris dead. Sirens are heard while mother and daughter hug it out.

Side Note

Minority Report: Riley, Becca, Principal Atkins, Riley’s mother.

Not enough Ms. Vivica A. Fox to make this a Wrong Movie worth your time.

Also, the subject matter is pretty dark and possibly triggering.

Don’t forget to listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Donate to keep the blog and podcast going 😊

Overall rating

🔪 (1 Knife)

🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)