Fatal Flip (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

**1/2

[edwagreen · 6/10 · 7 September 2015]

A very highly predictable Lifetime drama where a guy kills his wife by smothering her inside a wall. He then goes around and finds another couple who have bought a house with the intention of selling it so as to garner a profit.

Naturally, the guy gets hired to help with the work. As this is a Lifetime film, he gets overly friendly with the woman's best friend and tragedy results when she discovers his sordid past.

He then comes on to our heroine, but by the film's end, after he has fled from our couple, he starts anew with two new victims as the film concludes.

Did this couple actually think that they could live happily ever after they flip their house?

Unintentionally funny

[phd_travel · 4/10 · 26 November 2015]

It's about time they made a movie about a nightmare contractor - there is potential. A foolish couple decide to buy an old house and fix it and flip it within 45 days. Yeah 45 days. They get the help of a contractor they met at a hardware store who turns out to be a psycho. Of course there are lots of tools around to dismember with.

The cast isn't stellar. Remember Dominique Swain who had some big roles as a youngster ? She plays one half of the couple. Tatyana Ali from Fresh Prince plays her friend. The contractor isn't that hot but the guy of the couple looks suitably foolish.

This story could have been better. Not a must see.

The idiot best friend was hilarious

[LaverneandShirleysucks · 6/10 · 31 March 2022]

You know in these kinds of movies that the best friend of the lead is usually always wiped out midway through the film. But the demise of this specific best friend was such a hilarious and enjoyable watch solely due to her sheer bravado combined with her utter stupidity.

She finds out online that the handyman she just slept with is a psycho killer. (Why she slept with him is just as entertaining, but i'll get to that in a moment).

After finding out his shady murderous past, rather than alert the police she heads straight for the house he's working on and when she sees he's all alone there, at night, she boldly shouts to him his real name and waltzes right up in his face and says "You murdered your wife!" Oh you silly, brave woman lol.

Next thing she knows her body is tied up and wrapped like a sausage in plastic up to her head and she actually asks him during this "What are you doing?!" Um sweetie, he's murdering you, can't you tell?! But even as he's about to snuff the life out of her, she still has that bravado and shouts to him "I hope they choke you with your tool belt!" Oh lord, she was dumb as dirt, but what a defiant fighter till the end!!

The night before this all happened she slept with him because she knew he had the hots for her best friend and was all jealous about it. So I guess she felt sleeping with the guy would show her, but all she wound up showing her was her hanging plastic wrapped corpse in the closet the next night when her friend stumbled upon it while hiding from the psycho handyman.

The lead girl was no better either. Once her boyfriend leaves for the hardware store for more paint and she's all alone in the house with the psycho handyman, out of the blue she decides to take a bubble bath while leaving the bathroom door open and acts shocked and angry when she catches him peeking in on her and screams at him. (Oh you so wanted him to come in you hussy!)

The clueless husband arrives home just in time before things got bad in the bathroom but he doesn't bother to question why his girlfriend is taking a bubble bath in the middle of the day when alone in the house with the psycho handyman.

Earlier he even told her how he sensed that the handyman wanted to "get in her panties" (his own words), so why would she decide to take a bubble bath while alone in the house with him after knowing this?! The truth was because she wanted him bad and why she "accidentally" left that door open.

Then there's the ending where he took about 5 or 6 nail gun shots to his midsection yet there's not a drop of blood anywhere and he's perfectly fine in the next scene that looks like it was setting up for a sequel.

Oh and then there's the house itself.....towards the very end, it looked like the same dump it did inside when they started the work in the beginning, but the couple was raving how it was just about finished lol. What?!

Watch this one for the laughs.

Boring and scattered

[connolley325 · 3/10 · 29 November 2019]

This movie was pretty bad. These people purchase a home to flip, quitting both their jobs, but do not possess a tool between them. They supposedly want to flip the house in 45 days but you hardly see them do much work or see any sense of urgency. Once they hire the psycho contractor, you see him sabotage a lot of things in the house like major electrical lines but it barely phases the home owners. Near the end, you see the contractor knocking down what looks like load-bearing columns in the basement but you never see anything happen with that either. Very little seems to have been done to the house but near the end they say it's near completion. They also left the front door unlocked all the time. Stupid bad movie! Don't waste your time.

Could've been better!

[haroot_azarian · 21 November 2020]

Ok so I like Dominique Swain. The plot started off pretty good but oh the finale was sooooooo typical Marvista/LMN ending which annoyed me! Basically the villain gets shot three times at close range in his stomach with nail gun and bounces back as if it was nothing more than a mosquito bite. Then he gets whacked hard on the back with a heavy sledge hammer which should have shattered his vertebrae rendering him paralysed, but then he starts crawling away, and then he is suffocated with plastic tarp, but after all that he turned out to be another T2! Invincible! And in the final scene we see him all healthy and putting on the charm on his next victims! Ridiculous isn't the word, it's beyond pathetic. Oh I almost forgot! A knee in the nuts and a kick to the stomach added to all of the above!

Should have been better than dumb.

[tomfsloan · 5/10 · 12 April 2019]

Not too bad until the typical stupid climactic ending. Spoiler :::::> The bad guy is one of the Three Stooges, he never gets hurt. She kicks him in the b@lls. She shoots him with a nail gun. He gets whacked by a sledge hammer. But he's fine. Maybe he was the evil David Banner. If this ending was a little more believable, then it wouldn't be plain old dumb!

"My Skin is Crawling!"

[lavatch · 3/10 · 11 March 2020]

There is a moment in "Fatal Flip" where a pervert named Nate walks into a newly refurbished bathroom, shocking the character named Alex where she is taking a bubble bath. She later tells her boyfriend Jeff that she felt as if "my skin is crawling" when Nate entered. Unfortunately, viewers of this movie may have the identical reaction to the film as a whole.

The main narrative focuses on Jeff and Alex, who purchase an old colonial house with the goal of fixing it up and selling it for a quick profit in what is known as "flipping." It was never made credible that without an enormous crew, the remodeling could conceivably be completed in only forty-five days. This old hose required major renovations.

Jeff and Alex bring on a drifter named Nate to assist them. Because Nate is an experienced builder and craftsman, the project seems to be moving forward. But it turns out that Nate is actually concealing his identity. He not only murdered his wife. He also apparently walled people off into another home he was renovating, sealing their doom with his sadistic design.

A major problem with the film was the slow pacing in which Nate's conduct grows more bizarre. He jimmies a ladder so that Jeff will have a serious accident as they are making repairs to the roof. Nate then goes after both Alex and her best friend Roslyn, the latter of whom he brutally murders when she discovers his past identity.

There were some interesting moments as we saw the old house come to life with the repairs. But the film died a slow death due to the sluggish pace and the excessive violence. There is an old adage that goes "two's company; three's a crowd." Such was the sad situation with the triangulated relationship of Jeff, Alex, and Nate. By the end, the nice couple probably wished they were flipping burgers rather than houses after they had their fill of Nate.

Nate

[msing-26847 · 3/10 · 4 May 2018]

The couple should have done their homework before hiring Nate to be their contractor for the fixer upper on the house they bought. That Nate is very deranged! Nate could have the opportunity to shave off his beard or alter his appearance after he had murdered one or two persons in Fatal Flip. Also, was not sure if his name was really Matthew (as the couple's friend found out on the internet) or Nate.

Fatal Flop!

[icebrg313 · 1/10 · 28 April 2022]

This movie is just as bad as you think it's going to be... and worse. I was rooting for the bad guy all the way through because the rest of them were so darn annoying. Beware, Fatal Flip may be bad for YOUR health.

O.K. Lifetime Gothic

[mgconlan-1 · 6/10 · 30 August 2015]

I watched last night's Lifetime "world premiere," a film called "Fatal Flip," a pretty routine production from that channel — it was also shot under the working title "The Fixer Upper" but if Christine Conradt had written it (she didn't, though it might have been better if she had!) she would have called it "The Perfect Handyman." Jeff (Michael Steger) and Alex (Dominique Swain), a young couple who've been living together but have avoided even getting formally engaged, much less married, decide to take out a loan, buy a dilapidated house somewhere (this is nominally taking place in New England but, being a Lifetime production, it was almost certainly shot in Canada), fix it up themselves and then "flip" it — sell it to someone else for a higher price that will cover the loan and their expenses. Only because of the terms of the loan, if they can't finish the job and resell the house in 45 days they're going to be socked with heavy interest penalties and will lose so much on the deal they'll probably have to declare bankruptcy. They quickly realize they're in over their heads on the repair job, and one day at the analogue of Home Depot in this fictional world they run into Nick (Mike Faiola), an all-purpose handyman. Jeff cuts a deal with Nick to hire him to help them with the remodel in exchange for a share of the profits they expect from flipping the house, and since he's homeless part of the deal is that he can live in the house while they do the job.

There seem to be only two other significant characters, both women: the realtor who sold them the house (unidentified, at least this early, on IMDb.com's cast list), and Alex's friend Roslyn (Tatiana Ali — the only cast member I've heard of before), whose plot function is obscure but who at least provides some nice eye candy for any straight guys who might be watching this. Both the women are instantly attracted to Nick and they even make a bet with each other over who can get him first, but Nick is casting lascivious eyes at Alex and challenging her to go to bed with him just to prove she wants something more than the boring life she's trying to escape. Of course, being a reasonably attractive man in a Lifetime movie, he's also got other particularly unpleasant quirks. "Fatal Flip" is a pretty straightforward Lifetime movie, neither as bad as some of them nor as good as others, and though director Bharoocha gets some nice Gothic effects during the silent scenes in which Nick is sinisterly stalking Jeff and Alex through the crumbling old pile they're trying to restore into something saleable, she's hamstrung by the weaknesses of her cast. Mike Faiola as Nick is a reasonably attractive man but hardly the drop-dead gorgeous babe-magnet the script tells us he is, and Michael Steger looks like the result of a bizarre genetic experiment that attempted to cross-breed Harry Langdon and Tim Allen. I can't really tell you how good these people are as actors since the script doesn't require much from them in the way of acting, but I suspect there's a reason Tatiana Ali is the only cast member here you're likely to have heard of before!

Quite enjoyable movie!

[Chartreuse1 · 8/10 · 26 July 2020]

Fatal Flip is a catchy title, isn't it? Ended up watching this recently and so glad I did. The script is unusual in that it really concentrates on 4 characters. Alex and Jeff are house flippers who buy a run-down colonial home and have 45 days to fix it up. Not enough time when they see all that is wrong with it. Enter Nate, a killer contractor who ends up doing a lot of the work in exchange for free room and board. Nate has the hots for Alex, played by the lovely Dominique Swain. She rejects Nate's advances and Nate goes nuts. What does he do? Tune in to find out. Fatal Flip, a definitely exciting thriller and recommended.

Rather enjoyable thriller...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 14 April 2021]

Granted, I sat down to watch the 2015 movie "Fatal Flip" because it has Dominique Swain on the cast list. And sure, I hadn't even heard about this movie before now in 2021, as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it.

And it turns out that I actually found "Fatal Flip" from director Maureen Bharoocha to be a rather enjoyable movie, and it most certainly proved to be more entertaining than I had initially thought.

The storyline, as written by Maureen Bharoocha and Ellen Huggins, was actually a compelling one and an interesting one. The storyline was well-paced and had enough ups and downs to make it a fun ride. Sure, the movie was predictable, of course it was. But still, the movie endured and provide me with adequate entertainment for 1 hour and 26 minutes.

The characters in the movie were nicely detailed and were portrayed by a good ensemble of casted actors and actresses. Mike Faiola was really good in the role as the devious Nate and he was nicely cast for that role. And it was, of course, enjoyable to see Dominique Swain in the movie. I was surprised to see Tatyana Ali in the movie, and it was very enjoyable to watch her in this role. It was just a shame that she wasn't given more time on the screen.

Fatal Flip is an enjoyable thriller, and it is one that I can warmly recommend you sit down to watch, if you find yourself presented with the opportunity to do so.

My rating of "Fatal Flip" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Excellent Made-For-TV Thriller...

[vnssyndrome89 · 6/10 · 20 September 2023]

FATAL FLIP (TV Movie 2015)

BASIC PLOT: Alex and Jeff are a young couple who are tired of living the humdrum, 9-5 life. They've decided to take on house flipping, and they've put their future on the line to do it. They quit their jobs, cashed out, and put everything they own into an old colonial. If it works, there will be a big payday. The problem? They've never done this before, and they only have 45 days to do it. After only a few days, and a lot of nightmarish problems, they realize they are in way over their heads. They might lose everything, if they can't find help, and fast. But a trip to the hardware store changes all that. They "run into" Nate (Mike Faiola) in the plumbing aisle, and he seems like a godsend. He's willing to work for room and board, until the house is sold, and he's a contractor. Everything should be fine now, but there's something a bit off about Nate. Have Alex (Dominique Swain) and Jeff (Michael Steger) invited in a helpful stranger, or something much more dark and dangerous?

WHAT WORKS: *NATE'S SLOW MOVING IS AWESOME He's like a killer in a slasher movie. He never moves fast, he doesn't have to, and that makes him more scary. Also, he has power tools.

*I LOVE WHEN THE WOMAN IS HER OWN SAVIOR In this movie, Alex (Dominique Swain) is her own heroine. She doesn't wait for a man to save her, in fact, she saves him. She doesn't cower, or freeze, she doesn't even scream when she realizes she's hiding in the closet with a bunch of decaying bodies. These are excellent choices from the writers, Maureen Bharoocha and Ellen Huggins. They often write strong women taking care of themselves, see also I Am Watching You (2016)

*THE PROBLEMS BETWEEN JEFF AND ALEX ARE AUTHENTIC Jeff is more into Alex than she's into him, and it's established they were having problems before they bought this house. Neither of them is mature enough to be in a relationship, and their problems stem from this lack of empathy. The couple's problematic relationship, is well written by Maureen Bharoocha and Ellen Huggins. The fights are realistic portrayals of two people not ready to be in a relationship (and of course, the psycho in their midst, takes advantage of this).

*JEFF'S INSECURITIES AND PETTY JEALOUSIES ARE ALSOWELL WRITTEN The writers did a fine job creating a clingy, smothering, and insecure man. Michael Steger also plays this role well, I often found myself wanting to shake him.

*THE ANCILLARY CHARACTERS ARE WELL WRITTEN AND ACTED Tatyana Ali does a great job as Roslyn, and her argument with Alex (Dominique Swain) is believable. Paula Plum also does a fine job as Beth, the quirky realtor.

*EXCELLENT COVER ART! It's rare to see this quality of cover art for made-for-tv movies, I wish I could give credit here for who did it, but sadly, our search engines don't actually give out information anymore.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *IF THE LADDER BROKE, THEY'D GET A LAWYER, AND THEY WOULDN'T BLAME NATE Some ambulance chaser would show up at the hospital, and they'd get the payday they need from them lawsuit. Money problems solved! Also, why is Nate apologizing about the ladder breaking? As far as they know, it was a defect, so why?

*WHY DOES JEFF SUDDENLY SOUR ON NATE? Characters need motivations. Jeff has been out of commission since the fall off the ladder, so why is he suddenly mad at Nate? These kind of plot holes could be fixed with a few lines of dialog. Maybe he sees the dirty dishes in the sink, and realizes they had a romantic dinner together, maybe he finds her panties in his toolbox. Jeff needs a reason to change his mind about Nate, because Nate's behavior doesn't change throughout.

*WHY DOES ROSLYN NOT TEXT ALEX OR JEFF? I understand not going to the police right away, but the FIRST thing Roslyn would do, when she finds out Nate is dangerous, is text her friends. She'd do that before calling police, because they could be in danger. So, you have to create a plot line that addresses why she's doesn't call or text, her phone broke, she can't get a signal, they live in a dead zone, something. (Message to Maureen Bharoocha and Ellen Huggins, when several of the reviewers notice this plot hole, IT'S A FAIL!)

*WHY DON'T THEY HEAR NATE NAIL THE DOORS SHUT? Nate nails the doors shut, and they don't hear it? They don't have a radio or TV, so why don't they hear it?

*STOP USING THE WRONG VOICEOVER ARTISTS FOR YOUR TRAILERS! The trailer would have been fine, if not for the voiceover guy, who sounds like he's selling hemorrhoid cream! Get some spooky sounding voiceover artists, and put them to work! (On a side note: The Wrong Voiceover Artist sounds like a movie I'd like to see ; )

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I would definitely recommend this movie if you like low budget melodramas/thrillers, or appreciate movies where the woman is the heroine. The acting and writing is above average for a made-for-tv movie, and it's one of my favorites.

CLOSING NOTES: *This is a made-for-tv movie, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in ANY way by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews, and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.