Best Friend’s Betrayal (2019 Lifetime)
Stars: Mary Grill, Vanessa Walsh, and Jamie M. Callica
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
Best friends Katie and Jess are inseparable and have always had each other’s backs. When Jess begins a new serious relationship, Katie is unsure of the new perfect man and famous crime writer, Nick. She wants to support her friend’s newfound happiness but is fiercely protective. Katie’s obsession with Jess soon proves deadly and it is up to the recently vilified Nick to expose the bestie before it is too late.
Thoughts
We start of with Little Katie and Jess they sit at Lunch together and color and are fast friends. Flash forward to 21 years later. They are still coloring and eating lunch. Seriously. They are both divorcees and business women. Katie owns a cafe and Jess works in events and is hosting a book signing at the cafe. Jess has the hots for the HUNKY HUNK author, Nick Moore. The event is so successful that Nick invites Jess and Katie to pizza afterwards.
Katie doesn’t get the message and is waiting for Jess at the bar (They were supposed to get margaritas, with an umbrella!) She thinks she has been stood up.
Jess basically goes on a date with Nick Moore, it is supposed to be a really romantic scene of getting pizza and walking her home. (The actors really lacked Chemistry and was pretty awkward.) Turns out that Nick is staying in town for Jess and to write a book about the town, get back to his roots. (He is from the town.) Jess is thrilled, but Katie is not trusting him. (She tells Jess at yoga.) His books are murder, stalking, type books and Katie is very suspicious.
Nick and Jess have a romantic date. We find out that her ex husband was an alcoholic Here is the line:
“ I am not so recently divorced. His name is Marco, we were high school sweethearts only… turns out he is not so sweet. What I thought was a juvenile interest in beer and flip cup during college turned out to be a genuine drinking problem. He couldn’t hold a job, cheated, as angry, abusive. So for my 30th birthday I got myself a present… a divorce lawyer..
He thinks that Katie doesn’t like him. Jess tells him that he is not wrong. Someone throws a brick through the window
In yoga class the next day Nick shows up and then is about to join Jess and Katie for lunch. Katie gets into a fight. Jess is liker “When was the last time you went on a date?” and Katie is kind of obsessed with Jess or overly suspicious of Nick.
There is a weird choice that this movie makes to have Nick the writer narrate his book that he is writing as voice over to action in the movie. The VO is very bad and supposed to make the viewer suspect Nick, but all I’m thinking is WTF is this voice over? Haha.
Jess drunk ex husband breaks into her house and assaults her. (By assault, I mean he drink her wine… FROM THE BOTTLE!!!) Katie comes over just in time and pepper sprays him for a long time. (It was like she was spraying bug spray) Then he leaves. Katie tells Nick that Jess should stay with her and he agrees. He then starts to hit on Katie while Jess isn’t around.
Katie goes over to NIck’s house to pick up tickets and goes while she is there she looks at the novel her is working on. He is writing about JESS! Nick catches her and tells her he doesn’t reveal his writing secrets.
The alcoholic ex husband get murdered and is set up to look like he fell down the stairs by a mysterious figure. Jess and Nick get into an argument because Nick thinks that he got what he deserved. He even tells Katie the same thing when she comes over to console Jess. Katie we’ve known him since we were 1a.
Katie takes Nick’s book the detective and points out similarities between the murder and story Nick has written. She also tells Jess her suspicions and asks her to look into his past with her. Jess refuses and gets angry, but Katie looks anyways and finds out the Nick has an illegitimate son from his teen years.
Jess breaks up with Nick and stands up for herself. Katie is happy to have her friend back and tells Jess it is all going to be okay. They go back to their routine of coffee dates and yoga. Nick sends flowers and says longs speeches to win Jess back. She tells him she will think about it. Jess tells Katie and she is livid that the lying checking sneak is back in the picture.
Nick isn’t having it and tells Jess he is going to win her over. He must have meant RUN her over because Katie gets hit in a parking by a car… driven by who knows!?!?!
The next morning, Jess surprised to find the cafe closed and more so when she finds out Katie is in the hospital and remembers seeing Nick drive the car that almost. The cops come and take Nick to jail. He stays there because Jess refuses to take his calls. There is no physical evidence on Nick car but Katie’s testimony is enough to implicate him.
Jess asks Katie if she is a hundred sure that Nick ran her over. Katie freaks out on her while chopping vegetables. Katie tells Jess to reread the books and see for herself, which is what she does. They let bygone be bygone and are friends again.
Jess parties with 20 year olds to blow off some steam and invites Katie to come. Jess is doing lots and lots of shots. On her way into da club, Katie sees Nick in a car waiting outside. Jess kisses her female co-worker and Katie/Nick see and are both upset. The drunk co-walking home in an alley and drops her keys outside of her apartment. (She is killed. Strangled?)
Katie tells the detective that she way Nick. Nick on the other hand is doing some detective work on his own. He has a large file on Katie and interviews her old husband. Who turns out not to have ever been married. He brings in his real wife. Turns out SHE was the girl at the beginning of the movie. Her childhood boyfriend go pushed down the stairs and she got expelled. They haven’t seen her since.
Katie confronts Jess about her lesbian encounter and Jess says it is nothing. Just a little fun that went to far, it wasn’t romantic! Katie wishes it was her, obviously. Jess starts recording the conversation on her cell phone and calls Katie a liar. Katie admits to everything, the brick, the ex husband, the co-worker, EVERYTHING. Katie tells Jess that she will protect her from everything. Jess hits Katie with a teapot and make s a run for it. Nick tries to come to her rescue but is almost stabbed by Katie. (Jess pepper sprays her and stops the stabbing, just in time!)
Jess and Nick plan their wedding. He dedicates his book the dead co-worker. The end!
Side Note
The pacing on the movie was soooo slow. Lots of long scene of people closing doors and walking into rooms.
Sound design in this movie was terrible. Lots of music underneath dialogue setting the environment, but totally distracting.
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Overall rating
🔪 (1 Knives)
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 (5 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Lifetime
I’m won’t to watch it again and again… Ilove it
This movie is amazing as in amazingly bad. Every single part of this movie is laughable. From the acting, the non chemistry, and the horrible music.