Dead at 17 (2008 TV Movie) User Reviews

Awesomely Awful

[AnyaAngel22 · 5/10 · 21 November 2009]

This movie is hysterically bad. I knew within the first 5 minutes that is would be the worst Lifetime movie I ever saw, and I was right. The kids who played the villain brothers were horrible in this, and Cody was creepy ! He looked like one of those kids on Buffy in season 1 who turned into a hyena. The plot of the movie was enough to keep me watching to the end. A night of fun between 4 friends ends badly when the creepy hyena pushed a stripper down the stairs to her death. Our hero, Jason, and his friend Ty want to call the police. The hyena brothers don't. Jason is a good kid and it eats him up for the *spoilers*

2 whole days he was alloted to live. Since he mentioned going to the police as a group, crazy Cody decided to KILL him. Not threaten, not beat up, but kill. Riiiiiigggght. Very realistic. My favorite part came at the climax of the movie with his family after the truth is revealed, but I will make you watch it to find out. It is hysterical. Watch it if you have nothing else to do and need a good laugh.

Mildly entertaining.

[LarsHimself · 2/10 · 28 July 2008]

As Canadian movies go, this one isn't too bad at all. I watched it tonight on 'TMN: On Demand', and it's not as horrible as people have been rating it.

The storyline is written as well as it can be, and provides a surprising amount of twists and turns. I actually found myself surprised at times, and having a feel for the film.

The acting is average, but incredible for such an indie movie. Their actions and dialogue are believable, and is not overly forced.

I suggest this film to anyone who is interested in shutting off their brain for an hour and a half, which in my opinion, flies by quite quickly.

5/10.

Laughable in every aspect

[YoungGun77 · 1/10 · 3 September 2010]

Rarely do I see a film I care to review. But I felt forced to warn the world as to how horrible this movie is. Some of the worst direction in even average television history, the acting nearly as bad as the direction, and absurd writing make this film one of the worst to reach audiences of all time.

How this film was funded, put into production, and actually sold is mind boggling. There is nothing more to say than I already have. "Dead at 17" is just as bad as its title suggests, and I can guarantee you one thing - This is a film full of cast and crew who will never work a significant gig in their life.

Don't waste your time. Consider yourself warned.

Whaddya Mean?

[RobinMBlind · 7/10 · 1 August 2010]

OK...so it's NOT the greatest movie of all time but anyone who thinks it's the WORST simply hasn't seen enough OTHER Lifetime Movies! The plot is well thought out. Of COURSE it's a bit far-fetched and sometimes sappy! But it's a MOVIE (fer the luv uv of Christmas! I especially like the work of Danielle Kind, who plays Jason's older sister. I think hers is a compelling screen presence. The characters of the older brother villain and his clueless buddies are well-portrayed and, as is to be expected in any Lifetime Movie, there are several very good-looking people. The script is at least adequate and the videography is QUITE good...with the intense facial close-ups. Clearly, this movie was produced by someone who knew what he was doing. By LMN standards, I say it's pretty good!

Dead At 17-Riveting Story Reaffirms Life ****

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 15 March 2010]

I thought this was an outstanding film.

A young fellow, with college looming and so much to look forward to, is lured to a party with three other guys and a stripper. When one of the guys wants action from the stripper, they quarrel and he kills her. Our guy reluctantly agrees to help in ditching the body but is consumed by guilt. When he tells the friend who killed that they have to go to the police, the friend and his brother drug him to death.

It appears that the guy killed himself for breaking up with his girlfriend as well as a college rejection. His mother refuses to believe that this was a suicide and pursues her own investigation. The film is a good one as she comes to the truth. It shows the steps that she has taken along the way.

Well worth the watch.

Hanky Panky at the Lucky Kitty

[lavatch · 8/10 · 7 July 2021]

This film featured three of our favorite actors, including Barbara Niven, Ashley Jones, and Linden Ashby, all of whom deserve "Lifetime" achievement awards.

"Dead at 17" is a sad tale of two pampered boys, Cody and Gabe Masterson, who murder one of their best buddies, Jason Harris, after Jason is unwilling to promote their cover store of the murder of Becca by Cody.

Becca worked as a stripper at the Lucky Kitty club. When Becca was pushed down the stairs to her death and dumped in the Lancaster Ravine, Jason wouldn't provide an alibi for Cody. Jason paid the ultimate price, dying of a drug overdose from a roofie served to him by Cody.

It is the due to the quick-thinking mom, Alyssa Harris, that the truth about Jason comes out after she conducts her own investigation along with her daughter Danni. Niven gives an especially sensitive performance as Alyssa, who discovers the truth about Cody's visit to the Lucky Kitty strip club and his setting up a "private party" with Becca.

Another interesting character was Holly, the alcoholic mother of young Ty, who was also a witness to Cody's dastardly deed. Holly sobers up and gets her son to man up to reveal the truth.

If there was a theme to the film, it was the importance of family values. Alyssa and Holly were both single moms who instilled decency in the lives of their teenage sons. By contrast, the money-grubbing parents of the Masterson boys were caught up phony values of success to the degree that they never achieved a moral compass in their lives.

You don't have to lie anymore

[covergirl10452 · 8/10 · 24 January 2009]

After seeing this movie, I just realized it's the same as The Crucible, only worse. What those guys did was wrong. They should have told the police what was going on instead of keeping it covert. I knew it was going to catch up with them very soon, and it did. There's always an outcome. No wonder one of the guys committed suicide. One of those guys was lucky that he's not in prison right now. There was no need for those guys to keep it a secret. Nobody is that dense. The mother of her son that committed suicide wanted to know what was going on so she would feel better. It's a good thing that they confessed, but Cody made a mistake lying about it. It is just like The Crucible when Abigail made a pack to keep what they did in the woods covert. It all caught up on them. They eventually got busted, just like those guys who covered up the truth about what they did at their private party. I'm glad they got arrested and were found guilty on all charges. They got what they deserved. There was no excuse for what they did. You see how much better it is to tell the truth instead of just keep lying and keeping it covert. This is what happens when you keep things covert. Your conscience starts bothering you up to the point where it starts driving you crazy. It won't shut up unless you spill the beans. You know what they say "The truth will set you free." Remember that.

Not the Crubible

[isoron · 22 August 2009]

This is a typical Lifetime movie. You have the semi-good son who wants to own up to being involved in a crime. You have the two spoiled rich bros who machinate an even worse crime to cover their butts. You have the tireless Mom who can't believe her child would commit suicide - but then I have to say - who in the world would believe that anyone in their family who has not been diagnosed psychotic would commit suicide. Actually this is a typical movie to show that initial conclusions are not necessarily correct. How come the psycho leads are always cute guys? In reality they usually look like inborn Deliverance types.

So - a flick that you can waste an afternoon on - but not one to have a debate on how the teen culprits have even one excuse.