Yet another boring lifetime Channel movie about an adrenaline junkie woman who joins the gym and ends up working out with her creepy obsessed gym trainer.
6 Reviews
Don't Bother Watching This
jn-029404 December 2021
A classic tale of nothing
beastwave4 January 2020
Below average...
teodoramonika3 August 2021
Mayhem and Madness in Melissa's Fitness Program
lavatch2 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The major setting for "Blood, Sweat, and Lies (a.k.a., "The Killer Trainer") is the Power in Progress fitness center. It is there that that Melissa, the heroine of the film, begins a program with a personal trainer named Trey. This is Melissa's attempt to start her life over after a painful breakup with her boyfriend of five years. The physical training is a way for Melissa to set her life straight and move on.
But Melissa is slow in figuring out that Trey is a nut case specializing not in personal fitness, but in personal obsession. The creepy touching, the intensity of his gaze, the invasiveness into her personal life, the showing up at her apartment unannounced, should have been warning signs. The undisguised jealousy of Trey for Melissa's new beau Adam should have registered as well.
To make up for her inability to recognize the danger that she is in with Trey, Melissa must rely on the superb physical training she has received from her tormentor. Trey has even given Melissa lessons in self-defense, which will eventually be put to good use, as well as her skills is mastery the equipment and clambering around the facility, despite her fear of heights.
There are only two other characters who figure in the film's action. In addition to Adam, a charmer who romances Melissa in a whirlwind courtship, there is Melissa's best friend Leslie. At first supportive of Melissa training program, Leslie is the first to become genuinely suspicious of Trey, and Leslie goes on a "recon mission" to the gym. Leslie is a tech guru, who will provide Melissa with valuable insights into combating the forces of evil lurking in the gym. It is also Leslie who speaks the best line in the film when she discovers a "before/after" photo compilation of Trey and colorfully describes the "before" photo of the obese kid as "Lunch Trey."
The actress playing Melissa was obviously in superb physical condition to perform a strenuous simulated mountain climbing exercise and effortlessly do a grueling set of pull-ups. Some of the scenes in the gym seemed repetitive and dragged a bit. But the filmmakers had an interesting plot twist up their sleeves in the revelation of the true identity of Trey.
Based on the degree of interest shown to her by men, especially the attention paid to her by the male population in college when she was on the track team or in the classroom studying art history, Melissa should have had her guard up when her personal trainer offered to take control her life with so little resistance. But she is also capable of rising above her own limitations to deal with the killer trainer.
But Melissa is slow in figuring out that Trey is a nut case specializing not in personal fitness, but in personal obsession. The creepy touching, the intensity of his gaze, the invasiveness into her personal life, the showing up at her apartment unannounced, should have been warning signs. The undisguised jealousy of Trey for Melissa's new beau Adam should have registered as well.
To make up for her inability to recognize the danger that she is in with Trey, Melissa must rely on the superb physical training she has received from her tormentor. Trey has even given Melissa lessons in self-defense, which will eventually be put to good use, as well as her skills is mastery the equipment and clambering around the facility, despite her fear of heights.
There are only two other characters who figure in the film's action. In addition to Adam, a charmer who romances Melissa in a whirlwind courtship, there is Melissa's best friend Leslie. At first supportive of Melissa training program, Leslie is the first to become genuinely suspicious of Trey, and Leslie goes on a "recon mission" to the gym. Leslie is a tech guru, who will provide Melissa with valuable insights into combating the forces of evil lurking in the gym. It is also Leslie who speaks the best line in the film when she discovers a "before/after" photo compilation of Trey and colorfully describes the "before" photo of the obese kid as "Lunch Trey."
The actress playing Melissa was obviously in superb physical condition to perform a strenuous simulated mountain climbing exercise and effortlessly do a grueling set of pull-ups. Some of the scenes in the gym seemed repetitive and dragged a bit. But the filmmakers had an interesting plot twist up their sleeves in the revelation of the true identity of Trey.
Based on the degree of interest shown to her by men, especially the attention paid to her by the male population in college when she was on the track team or in the classroom studying art history, Melissa should have had her guard up when her personal trainer offered to take control her life with so little resistance. But she is also capable of rising above her own limitations to deal with the killer trainer.
BIG SPOILERS!!!!
haroot_azarian24 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Ok so Melissa is not at all bothered the way psycho kept touching her and caressing her. She is not at all bothered that her crazy psycho stalker only got 5 years. She is also not bothered that psycho keeps sending her pink paper cutout hearts every day from jail, instead of reporting it to the authorities as continued harassment. Finally in what kind of a system would a mentally disturbed stalker/psycho get five years in an ordinary jail instead of an indefinite confinement to a max security mental institution? So the prison guards think it's perfectly fine for him to litter his cell floor with paper cutout hearts with him humming like a crazy person. All these factors made what could have been a good movie totally stupid!
"Images in this mirror may be distorted by socially constructed views on beauty."
MikeyKup8 May 2021
I'm going to be honest. At first, I didn't like it because Lifetime is known to be the epitome of "Men are terrible and will hurt you because this is Lifetime." I gave it a serious analytical watch a second time and found to really enjoy the lessons that could be learned from it. Heartbreak can wreck you, but with blood, sweat and sacrifice, pushing through the pain, you can come out much stronger and reach your goals.
I enjoyed the villain's reveal very much; the mirror scene in their room. It speaks to me on so many levels, and I am sure to many others; body-image issues, fighting against your own demons, etc. Having come so far, and yet the villain still sees themselves as their former, weaker selves. I found it sad and connected with them and their anger because of the realism there. Still, it felt a bit rushed and I think the movie could have been a bit better had it been explored more. Otherwise, I think this was pretty good and entertaining and there are some golden nuggets of wisdom thrown in here and there.
I enjoyed the villain's reveal very much; the mirror scene in their room. It speaks to me on so many levels, and I am sure to many others; body-image issues, fighting against your own demons, etc. Having come so far, and yet the villain still sees themselves as their former, weaker selves. I found it sad and connected with them and their anger because of the realism there. Still, it felt a bit rushed and I think the movie could have been a bit better had it been explored more. Otherwise, I think this was pretty good and entertaining and there are some golden nuggets of wisdom thrown in here and there.
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