Penelope Misceo
The fatal flaw of “Dangerous Lies” is that it fails to create an original plot, causing its other storytelling devices to falter as well.
While creating interesting supporting characters and a strong score, “Dangerous Lies” tells a repetitive story, and feels like a vague recreation of movies within the same murder-mystery genre. Its lack of originality makes for a predictable and boring watch.
Released on April 30, “Dangerous Lies” is directed by Michael Scott. The film stars Camilla Mendes and Jessie Usher, and the score is composed by James Jandrisch.
The film follows Katie (Camilla Mendes), and Adam (Jessie Usher), a young married couple living in Chicago. The pair struggle to make ends meet, and after the sudden death of the elderly man Katie is working for, they are entangled in a police investigation about the truth of the incident.
“Dangerous Lies” follows the pace and structure of a classic murder-mystery to a T, but the issue of the film lies in its lack of creativity elsewhere. The overall entertainment value is diminished because nothing about the story or characters is unpredictable, which is mostly the entire point of the movie’s genre.
The film also struggles to capture the full attention of its audience because its main protagonists are not developed. Without giving the main characters any clear traits, the acting and writing feels dull. Mendes gives it her all, but the lack of personability in her character makes it difficult for the viewer to empathize with her.
Interestingly enough, the side characters of “Dangerous Lies” are the most intriguing and well-developed. Detective Chesler, played by Sasha Alexander, has a complex personality and ends up being the most sensible, agreeable character of the film. Julia Byron, played by Jamie Chung, is another well-written side character who adds some intrigue to the story with her layered personality.
One undeniably positive aspect of the “Dangerous Lies” is its original score. The instrumental pieces are beautifully performed, and match the tone of each scene perfectly. As stand-alone pieces, the score is a joy to listen to, even without the film itself.
Despite its pretty score and occasionally interesting side characters, “Dangerous Lies” is an overall unsurprising experience for its audience. Its lack of originality and under-developed characters make for a repetitive story, which has been done better in the past with films of the same genre.
Released on April 30, “Dangerous Lies” is rated TV-14 and available to stream on Netflix.
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