Secret Society of Lies (2023 Lifetime)
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Cast: Kristen Vaganos, Luke Charles Stafford, Justin Berti, Azizi Donnelly
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
After being targeted by a secret fraternity, Chrissy, a brilliant young woman on the verge of graduating, is determined to expose the boys and end their reign of power. While working to expose the fraternity, Chrissy falls in love with Nathan Martel, the charming and handsome son of the Dean, seemingly helping her every step of the way. However, Chrissy soon realizes the fraternity has deep ties to the dean and high-ranking officials that are willing to do whatever it takes to keep her quiet. Stars Kristen Vaganos, and Lukas Charles Stafford (2023).
Recap/Wine Thoughts
The movie starts with a woman screaming while she runs away from a hunk with 90’s middle part as he calls her name, “Alison,” They end up at an indoor pool and into the water. Alison sinks to the bottom of the pool, and we see she has a tattoo on the back of her neck. He aggressively pushes her underwater until she stops struggling.
The 90’s haired hunk goes home to his girlfriend Nora and drips water all over her while she studies. He tells her she knows nothing and starts making out with her. (Rude!)
Chrissy does know stuff; she is Norah’s daughter and is on the college debate team. In competition, Chrissy freezes and gets yelled at by her partner, Ryan. (Chrissy has a lot of pressure on her for NO REASON!) the Dean of Payton University also talks to Chrissy afterward and tells her to step it up.
Chrissy and her sorority sister Sarah go to a party to blow off steam and play beer pong with the Dean’s son, Nathan. They flirt, and he is impressed with her drinking skills. Someone roofies the beer pong cups.
Chrissy starts to feel weird and tries to get Sarah to leave with her, but Sarah is a total bitch and lets her friend stumble out of the party alone. Chrissy is attacked by a man in a bird mask, who throws her to the ground and draws three circles on the back of her neck. Sarah and Nathan find her and take her to the campus nurse, Bonnie.
When Sarah wakes up, Nate asks Chrissy not to file a police report because he doesn’t want to get in trouble for having the party. Dean Martel (who is the 90’s hunk/killer?!?!) assures Chrissy and his mom that he will handle the situation,
Nora notices the circles on her daughter’s neck, and they discover that it symbolizes Orian’s belt. (or something) Sarah studies journalism and decides to post about the attack and weird markings on her blog.
Ryan talks to a friend and is caught looking at a picture of Chrissy. She knows that he had something to do with the attack. Dean Martel sees Ryan and asks him to come with him. He is obviously involved in the secret Orian society. He doesn’t take any of the reports seriously. Ryan wants out of the secret society and says he will go to the police. Dean Martel is not having it and strangles Ryan to death.
Nate gives Chrissy a replacement necklace for the one she lost in the attack. They are spending a lot of time together, which is interesting because he is the DEAN’S SON AND CAN’T BE TRUSTED! (Even if he clearly doesn’t skip leg day! He could choke a bear with those thighs!)
Chrissy gets a text from Ryan to meet him in the campus theater. Ryan is found hanging from the rafters in an apparent suicide. The police question Chrissy, and Dean Martel sets a curfew on campus. He also tells Sarah to take down the blog post. She goes on a feminist rant and calls the Dean a chauvinist. It makes Sarah his next target.
Sarah tells Chrissy what happened, and they try to prove Ryan’s death wasn’t a suicide. Nate even helps them sneak into the Dean’s office to get keys to the security office to retrieve the camera footage of the setup. Before she can download the footage, Dean Martel erases the tape and chases her out of the office.
Sarah is in the journalism offices late at night working on the story when she takes a sip from her water bottle and starts to feel weak. That is when one of the bird mask people attacks her.
Nate and Chrissy are fully dating now. They make out a lot, and Chrissy overshares information about the Dean. (Let’s remember Nate is the Dean’s son!) He is by Chrissy’s side when she debates without Ryan until Sarah shows up in the audience and turns around to show the circles on her neck. Chrissy tries to speak out, but someone cuts her mic and pulls the fire alarm.
Sarah tells Chrissy that she has arranged to talk with local media. Dean Martel somehow has survivance camera’s in their sorority house and knows about the plan.
Before they can talk to the press, Chrissy gets a threatening call from the Birdman, who claims he has kidnapped Nate and will kill him if they don’t cancel the interview. Once the Birdman hangs up, we learn Nate is in on it and is only pretending to be kidnapped.
Chrissy turns away the reporters, and Sarah is held at knifepoint when she gets out of the shower. Sarah takes a cab out of town instead of staying and helping Chrissy save Nathan.
Even though Nathan is in on the attacks, her makes out with Chrissy when she saves him. She mentions that she thinks his dad is involved, which is a total mood killer. He goes to the bathroom, and Chrissy finds a bird mask and her necklace in his room. He promises to make things right, but she isn’t buying it and attempts to pepper spray him. When that doesn’t work she goes with the knee to the balls and runs/
They run around campus, and Nate really struggles with the stairs. Eventually, that pepper spray does work, and she gets away. Chrissy calls 911 and switches the call when her mom calls. (Haha, that is WILD!) The caller on the other line isn’t her mother; it is Dean Martel luring her to the theater.
Dean Martel has Nora tied up on stage as bait. He plans to stage a mother/daughter suicide. Chrissy is forced to take pills, but Nate fights with his father and gives Chrissy enough time to get away and outside, where the cops are waiting.
Dean Martel is arrested for creating a dean’s list of male abusers. Chrissy puts in good work with the cops on Nathan’s behalf, like a beat cop and a college girl have any influence on the trail.
Chrissy decides to stay in school and get her degree. Sarah becomes her debate team, and they debate the topic of safety on campus; what would be the counter?!?! The end!
Side Note
Note to writers: “Sexual Preference” is an outdated term and implies that LGBTQ folk have chosen that life. “Sexual Orientation” is the correct term.
Minority Report: Edwin, Bonnie, Debate Coach, cop,
The movie was trying to make a point about the patriarchy, and it just didn’t come together to be an inspiring tale.
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Overall rating
Number of Kills:
🔪 (1 knife)
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷
Should you watch it?
Pour it up! (Give it a shot)
Put a Cork in It (Skip It)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media @LifetimeUncorked & @patrickmiguel
*Photo Credit: © 2023 Lifetime® | A+E Networks®
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Lifetime seems to missing the mark a lot this year. Most movies this year haven’t been good.
I’m hoping Q2 will bring some fun ones!
I’m also the type of person that says they could write a better story, despite having 0 script writing experience. So I’ll just wait and see.
Love to hear your thoughts! Keep me posted!