Dying for Fame (2024 Lifetime)
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Cast: Dylan Raine, Nick Ritacco, Amelie Anstett, Kristina Clifford, Ty Trumbo
Director: David Benullo
Writer: Suzanne Egan
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
Career-driven internet tabloid reporter Anna is assigned to write a profile about popular influencer Juliet. During Anna’s time with Juliet, she discovers that many of Juliet’s fans aren’t real. When Anna confronts Juliet about her fake followers, Juliet offers Anna a different story–one about a stalker who has been tormenting her for months. Anna debates which article to publish but ultimately decides to proceed with the fake fans story. When Juliet is found dead, though, Anna feels guilty for not listening and helping her. Desperate to right her wrongs and uncover the killer, Anna takes matters into her own hands. Starring Dylan Raine and Amelie Anstett (2024).
Recap/Wine Thoughts
The movie starts with an influencer named Juliet at the gym. She makes videos and takes selfies while walking on the treadmill. (Even though this type of influencer is Pasee, I still love it.) Juliet is surprised to see cancels and rose peddles spread around the gym when she leaves the locker room set up by her stalker with a star wrist tattoo! The stalker chases Juliet around, screaming about how he loves her. Juliet is saved by her trainer/boyfriend named Ryan Tate.
At DA CLUB, Anna fends off annoying, pretty boys who hit on her. Anna is scoping out an underage celebrity in the club because she is some kind of modern-day paparazzi/gossip blogger. Anna is ruthless, unlike her co-worker Artie. Due to her success, Anna is assigned to find a scandalous story about Juliet and her trainer friend Ryan.
Anna goes into a monologue about narcissism and why influencers deserve the scrutiny. She doesn’t mind taking Juliet down a peg. Anna and Artie look at Juliet’s profile and find a bunch of bot followers. They have their angle. Anna sets up an interview with Juliet’s sister/assistant/manager, Meg.
Meg is busy installing new security cameras at the interview, and Anna overhears Ryan and Juliet fighting. Ryan quickly changes the tune and flirts with Anna on his way out the door. Anna confronts Juliet about her fake followers, and Juliet accuses Anna of being unpopular in High School. Then she shares the hot gossip about her stalker.
The stalker is NOT pleased about the article published about his beloved Juliet and seeks revenge after she kills herself by jumping off the roof of her building while wearing a tiara due to the bad press. The public also turns on Anna, who receives threatening DMs and a dead rat in the mail.
Meg admonishes Anna for being so selfish and accuses her of being just as superficial. Meg is rightfully pissed.
Anna starts to feel like she is being followed and drinks to numb her paranoia. She receives a video message from Juliet thanking Anna for helping her escape the prison of influencer life. In the message, Juliet doesn’t appear suicidal and is hopeful for the future.
Anna calls Artie and then does some research online about the star tattoo. (They are male fans with star tattoos who post online about their obsessions. They are called “Romeos.”) He rushes over to help and is surprised when Anna tells him she has received creepy text messages. Artie tells Anna to go to the police, who don’t take her video seriously and say the forensic evidence doesn’t seem suspicious.
With the police ruled out as a helpful option, as they often are in Lifetime movies, Anna visits Meg for more information about the stalker. Meg thinks the video is just a ploy to send Anna on a pointless mission. Meg admits to catching Ryan juicing, and it causes him to go into a roid rage and break up with Juliet.
On her way out, Anna gets in the elevator with the stalker, and she notices his star tattoo. He tells her that she looks familiar and then chases her through a stairwell.
Anna decides it is time to talk to Ryan while he is all sweaty at the gym. He says no comment and enters the locker room, thinking she won’t follow him. Anna will go to any lengths for the story and talk to him while he is naked in the locker room. (I should try this at my gym!)
A car almost runs over Anna in the gym parking garage. The police don’t care and blame Anna for being so unlikeable.
The stalker, whose name we’ve learned is Holden, hides in Anna’s apartment. He asks her for help and screams that she isn’t listening. He tells Anna that Juliet was murdered, and he was paid to stalk Juliet to make her seem more famous. Holden gives Anna the key card to Juliet’s building and implies that Ryan is the person who hired him, even though he can’t be sure. (Holden was hired anonymously online.)
Ryan asks Anna for a drink, and she is happy to meet to get answers. Ryan denies juicing, but he does confirm the breakup. Ryan has an alibi for the murder: a floozie from the bar he was rebounding with. The conversation is interrupted by a rude guy who calls Anna trash. Ryan beats him up, and they leave. Then they make out in the alley, and Artie takes a picture of them together and publishes a blog post; maybe he is ruthless, too.
Anna wakes up in bed with Ryan and sneaks out to look through his bad. She finds vials in his bag and assumes he is using steroids. (I mean, look at his body!) Ryan catches her and begs her not to go public with the story. Anna doesn’t have time to because she is the headline the next day. She quits her job and congratulates Artie on his first front-page story.
Meg invites Anna over to talk. When Anna arrives, Holden is there screaming at Meg. He rushes out of the apartment and into the stairwell. Anna and Meg chase him, and Meg pushes him down the stair shaft, and he plunks all the way down. (YIKES! That creeped me out!) The police finally care and take statements. Holden has evidence in his apartment that links him to Juliet’s death and implicates him as the murderer.
Meg invites Anna up on the roof for a drink. Anna accuses Meg of hiring Holden and framing him. Meg tells Anna that it is over and done before smashing her over the head with her glass and stomping on Anna’s ankle.
We see a flashback of Juliet telling Meg she wants to take a break from social media. Meg couldn’t handle that, and she killed her.
Anna live streams the whole confession, and when Meg realizes what is going on, she tries to throw Anna over the edge. The police arrive and arrest Meg. Anna goes on to work for a regular, old, boring newspaper! The end!
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
In the words of Fergie, this movie is so “2000 and late.” Influencer culture has changed so much in the past few years, and this ain’t it.
I didn’t hate this, but Lifetime didn’t come out of the gate swinging in 2024.
Overall rating
Numbers of Kills: 🔪🔪 (2 knives)
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 Glasses of Wine)
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
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*Photo Credit: © 2024 Lifetime® | A+E Networks®
Definitely put a cork in it!
I agree with you! Although I enjoyed this one, it definitely felt like this movie was made by a couple of boomers/late millennials who have a bleak idea of how influencer culture is like today.
Why did the tabloid office have such an obscene amount of plants?!