Inspired by true events, a friendship rivalry between three high school girls escalates into a shocking act of violence, and soon one of them is dead. Now the dead girl's mom is determined to find her missing child... and get justice for her daughter.
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I'm a sucker for a good lifetime movie, and this is one! Took twists I wasn't expecting and was excited all the way through. If you more looking for a good lifetime movie, look no further!
All in all, it was your pretty typical Lifetime movie. Teenagers behaving badly and a mom desperate for answers. I've seen better and I've seen worse. The acting was sub-par, but what really got me was the plot. It was rather dull, which is strange considering the subject matter. It has all that you need for a good Lifetime thriller, two teens kill their best friend AND it's based on a true story. In my opinion, here's what went wrong, they should've told a story that more closely resembled the real one. Not just because it would've been more truthful, but because the real story is actually much more interesting.In the film two girls, Jade and Sara, who have been best friends forever, meet a cool new girl named Ashley. The girls invite Ashley to hang out with them and the three become quick friends. It then becomes clear that Ashley and Sara don't see eye to eye and Ashley obviously wants Jade all to herself and after overhearing Sara saying some mean things about her, Ashley tells Jade they should get rid of her. Jade agrees, thinking they'll play a cruel prank on her or something along those lines so she and Ashley convince Sara to sneak out of her house one night so the three can hang out. Jade then drives to a secluded warehouse where Ashley takes Sara inside and promptly begins to stab her while Jade waits outside until she hears her friend's screams. When she runs inside, Sara as begging for her life, Jade is in tears, hoping to help her, but her friend quickly dies. Ashley convinces Jade to cover it up, but Jade is feeling immensely guilty and after a few days she tells Sara's mom the truth and eventually the two go to jail. Now, I know that Lifetime movies that are based on true stories are often over-dramatized and changed for television, which I get, but why change a story so much when the truth is so creepily fascinating? The real Sara, a girl named Skylar Neese, was a victim of completely pre-meditated murder by BOTH of her best friends. The girls had been planning it for months and on the night of the murder they brought along knives, bleach, shovels etc. completely prepared to brutally stab their best friend. They lured her to a place in the woods where the three had smoked pot together, then when her back was turned, the two stabbed her over 50 times. They hid her body under a bunch of leaves and went home like nothing had ever happened. When Skyler's body was eventually found, one of the two who committed the murder even posted a picture on twitter, honoring the friend she had killed. I mean, this story is just plain FREAKY. A group of totally normal friends turned to murder. These girls were clearly sociopaths, the story received such a large amount of media attention for a reason, it was completely insane. According to the girls, they killed her because "they didn't like here anymore." Some believe that their friendship became torn because Skyler witnessed the two having a secret lesbian relationship. So my question is, why change it so much? The real version of what happened sounds like a Lifetime movie within itself, so why alter it for television? I just think the films could've been much more captivating if it closely resembled the real story. In my opinion, there wasn't a need for the changes, they were dull and uninteresting.The one aspect of the movie that I enjoyed was the story line involving the parents. Ashley's mom being an alcoholic gave the character some depth and an explanation for her madness. Sara's mom's commitment to finding out the truth about her daughter was also interesting, but again, I think that the girl's characters didn't need to be changed so much. I don't understand why they tossed out reality in favor of something less stimulating. All in all, the film had potential, but sorely lacked.
In the opening minutes a woman stumbles, apparently drunk, and tongue-teases the final droplets from a tilted bottle of cheap wine. She knocks over a lamp and falls down. Another woman appears, and reveals herself as a bratty daughter. She won't help her mother get off the floor. Later, we learn the very beautiful young blonde is Tina Ivlev (as Ashley Tralman) and her alcoholic single mother is Michelle Clunie (as Tina). As the credits roll, we switch to a campus setting in the Los Angeles area. High school seniors Brittany Underwood (as Jade Thompson) and Lexi Ainsworth (as Sara Cowan) are best friends forever (BFF). Into their Spanish language classroom struts Ms. Ivlev. She is attracted to Ms. Underwood and quickly maneuvers herself into the BFF twosome. Very quickly, the three have formed the "Death Clique" of the title and we wait to see who is going to die, if anyone...This story, written by Barbara Kymlicka and directed by Doug Campbell is supposedly "Inspired by true events." Hopefully, anyone connected to the actual individuals who "inspired" this TV movie have received apologies. The crime does not ring true...Of the main cast, Ms. Ainsworth does the best; helped by her smaller stature and youthful looks, she is able to appear convincing. Ivlev resembles a young Michelle Phillips with Faye Dunaway's attitude; she needs a star-making role. Underwood does her best with the part. Dependable mom Barbara Alyn Woods (as Lana) is routine but effective. Of the minor cast, Connors' Clayton and Weil are well-cast. The scene where Mr. Weil tries to undo Ainsworth's jeans is most memorable. Weil wiping her kiss off his mouth to end the scene was a nice touch. Director Campbell also helps the young women send subtle Lesbian signals; other than one bed scene, it's too shy for the millennium. And, there is no getting over the inadequacies herein. When police detectives walk into a classroom to make arrests, instead of having an administrator call suspects discreetly, you just have to laugh at the absurdity of it all.*** Death Clique (4/12/2014) Doug Campbell ~ Tina Ivlev, Brittany Underwood, Lexi Ainsworth, Barbara Alyn Woods
Not a bad movie at all. It started pretty cheesy then ended up catching my attention and it kept me interested. It was predictable at times but the emotional side of this movie is what kept me watching. I felt so sorry for the victim's (sara) family. Sara's mother played her part very well. So did the victim's friend. I could put myself in the characters' shoes therefore the acting was pretty good overall. This movie upset me as I found it to be very realistic. Not many movies make me cry, but this one sure did. Definitely worth a watch.