cecilbeltwayblog Reviews

The Lie (2018)

BLEEPING BRILLIANT!!

[25 October 2020]

By the end i was left with my jaw in my lap in a state of shock!

as a parent having raised a (difficult!) teen daughter, I totally relate to a number of themes and relationships in the story. but the plot twist was freaking sublime, NEVER saw it coming... felt my heart pounding though, especially in the last 3rd of the movie!

some folks might be a *touch* dissatisfied with the ending, but I think it was PERFECT. there's nothing more they could have added or changed to improve it based on the preceding 80+ minutes of storytelling.

the A-list cast was amazing - as expected. can't possibly go wrong with Sarsgaard and Enos, both brilliant artists, i always expect quality from them. and little Joey King I've adored everything I've seen from her so far, she's already proven herself oscar-worthy powerhouse despite her young age. these 3 main actors together connected so well, so completely believable and drew me into the story from the very start.

LOVE Blumhouse flicks as a general rule, but this was a (pleasantly) unexpectedly different, kind of more psychological and sometimes claustrophobic sort of suspenseful story, vs. the blatant slasher/mad-man monster in the closet type fare I'm accustomed to from BH. i actually find the basic plot in this story more terrifying because it COULD be based

kudos to the writers and director.. i almost felt like i was IN THE ROOM with them in many scenes. not many movies of this genre completely captivate my attention and focus like that.

fantastic movie, I'll probably be watching again (and again.. )

Homekilling Queen (2019 TV Movie)

Deliciously Vengeful Sweet Psycho!

[24 October 2020]

As for the like, kajillions of LMN *psycho* movies I've seen, this one pretty much tops my favorites list!

oh how i love to hate a well-played mean girl! of course, the plot line seems completely implausible (although with today's millenial kids, maybe not SOO far fetched?? lol) but it definitely magnifies many subtle little idiosyncrasies from high school social life that will probably always be relevant no matter what generation.

Overall, well acted, good cast, good production quality & script - loved the payoff scene at the end.. this one is on my DVR in my 'bad girls night' watch list, permanently!

Cheerleader Nightmare (2018 TV Movie)

Oh no, the DRONES...!

[24 October 2020]

Luckily LMN directors already seem to rely HEAVILY on drone cams to film their movies.. and so now they've purposefully commemorated this technology in a semi-snoozey cheerleader /whodunit story! lol (but seriously- a good quality drone cam can run well over $1000.. so how's this HS kid affording multiples??)

Sorry to admit that of all the LMN cheer movies, this is one of my LEAST favorites. I blindly accept every cheer-version Nancy Drew story they give us.. but this one for some reason barely holds my attention. the cast isn't the greatest compared to many others from Lifetime network, but the plot isn't great to begin with. the acting and overall production is a B-/C+ for me. And the required mean-girl cheerleader in this one is JUST MEAN, with virtually no likeable redeeming qualities (shameful, bc i normally like that actress and her performance is one of the film's strengths)

It's got a couple of well-played scenes but virtually ZERO cheer scenes.. still, if you (like me) insist on watching ALL things even remotely cheer, tack this one towards the BOTTOM of your watch list :)

Cheer Squad Secrets (2020 TV Movie)

Not the best, but not the worst...

[24 October 2020]

I love LMN cheer movies, but let's be honest - some are better than others! this one falls sorta in the middle for me.. i think it's the semi-ridiculous storyline that drags it down more than anything else. (I'll have to research whether this might be inspired by real events - it shocks me to learn that sooo many of the LMN movies ARE based on true stories, especially the most implausible ones!)

A few new fresh faces lend a lift to the acting here, which for me, honestly saves the *ugh-ish* plot... LOL

if you enjoy Lifetime cheer genre movies with a whodunit twist, it's still good fun, so DO add it to your list, just maybe not as a TOP must-see priority haha :)

Dying to be a Cheerleader (2020 TV Movie)

Fun Cheer-Junkfood :)

[24 October 2020]

I've watched probably ALL of the Lifetime network cheerleader genre movies, this one is a *slight* standout among most. Deliciously aweful teen angst amidst the popular beautiful jock in-crowd, wrapped in a 'whodunnit' twist (that surprisingly took me a little longer than usual to figure out!)

Acting from this relatively young, green cast is pretty good, B+/A-, plot twist was not 100% predictable, and the overall production was one of the better among the LMN cookie cutter teen cheer genre. I regard these movies as Junkfood - no oscar winning performances, but entertaining to poke fun & giggle at!

my only real criticism is that there's not enough actual CHEER scenes in this (as it IS a cheerleader oriented movie!), but there are a couple of 'standard' LMN scenes where we get to hear Lifetime's standard cheer soundtrack music.. also, my guess is they're reusing the same couple of actual real athletes (flyers, tumblers etc) in any real cheering scenes as in all other recent LMN cheer movies.. it's a theory haha. :)

Overall, I'd give it a B+ grade. have fun binging it along with all your other cheer-faves!

The Spanish Princess (2019–2020)

romantic and dramatic

[23 June 2019]

Made me want to learn more about the Tudor era and midday ages in England. actting superb, sets/design /costumes rival Game of Thrones. i know its a dramatization of much of real history but it piques my interest to learn more. very recommended series, along with White Queen and White Princess companion series. hope there's more coming!