SUICIDE NOTE (TV Movie 2016)
BASIC PLOT: Molly White (Kirby Bliss Blanton) is finishing up her psychology degree, and looking forward to her summer internship, when the worst happens. Her roommate, Emma (Kirsten Ray Johnson), who has been fighting with her boyfriend, Adam (Stephen Colletti), appears to commit suicide. Molly does not believe she would have missed Emma's suicidal ideations. She's shared a room with Emma for quite awhile, and besides, she knows about suicide. She attempted it herself, when her parents were killed. She just doesn't believe it, and with the help of her best friend, Irene (Lexi Giovagnoli), she begins her own investigation. Adam appears to be the logical suspect, but she's catching those around her in many lies. Could it be Doug (Kyle Leatherberry), the barista, who lied about being close to Emma? Or maybe, it's Jasmine (Nthenya Ndunda), who was sleeping with Emma's boyfriend? There's also the mystery man Emma was cheating with, the cause of her violent fight with Adam, the night she died.
At the same time, Molly begins dreaming of Emma every night. She feels it's her own psyche warning her of the dangers lurking around her. Can she figure out who the real threat is before it's too late?
WHAT WORKS: *Brant Daugherty is the standout here, as Brady Farris. He's the only one who gives a believable performance.
*This movie has good cover art. So many of these TV movies don't, so it's definitely worth a mention.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *The delivery of the dialog seems forced throughout this movie. It's like they filmed the first run through rehearsal. I half expected the actors to have scripts in their hands. It's probably because the dialog is hollow, which makes the execution seem lacking. The story is there, but without a foundation, there's nothing to build on.
*NO ONE would leave the victim's phone where the potential killer could get at it, especially after the guy you suspect, gets into the dorm whenever he wants. You'd hide the phone. It's a giant mistake no one would make.
*NO COPS ARE THIS STUPID! I am so sick of seeing this plot hole again and again. The police would listen to the victim's friends about her state of mind, and that of her boyfriend. She had a volatile relationship, and was supposed to meet him that night. The suicide note is one line, and could mean anything. Cops also don't like being bullied by rich people. Some douche has his daddy's attorney make a phone call, and the cops would listen? That type of behavior would draw more attention to the douchy boyfriend, not away from him. There are so many work arounds for this problem, but having cops be this stupid, INSULTS THE AUDIENCE! Also, cops can NOT restrict someone's movements, or liberties, without a warrant. In other words, when cops say, "Don't leave town," it's just a suggestion.
*The main character that's killed is unneeded. If a death was needed, it should have been Jasmine (Nthenya Ndunda). She was an ancillary character, and her death would have fulfilled the desperation of the killer. It's just one more thing that's off-putting.
*Jake Helgren has written some very entertaining melodramas, (The Legend of Alice Flagg (2016) and Nightmare Nurse (2016)) and some real stinkers (Killer Dream Home (2020) and Stripped (2019)). This is somewhere in between. I don't get how The Legend of Alice Flagg (2016), which was also filmed in 2015, also in South Carolina, and also starring Lexi Giovagnoli, could be so good, and this is so mediocre.
*This movie has a terrible trailer. It doesn't tell you much about the movie, or the characters. I could have done better on my phone.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I doubt if I'd recommend this movie. It's dialog is forced, the pacing plods along at a snails pace, overall, it's too banal, and too clichéd.
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. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.
BASIC PLOT: Molly White (Kirby Bliss Blanton) is finishing up her psychology degree, and looking forward to her summer internship, when the worst happens. Her roommate, Emma (Kirsten Ray Johnson), who has been fighting with her boyfriend, Adam (Stephen Colletti), appears to commit suicide. Molly does not believe she would have missed Emma's suicidal ideations. She's shared a room with Emma for quite awhile, and besides, she knows about suicide. She attempted it herself, when her parents were killed. She just doesn't believe it, and with the help of her best friend, Irene (Lexi Giovagnoli), she begins her own investigation. Adam appears to be the logical suspect, but she's catching those around her in many lies. Could it be Doug (Kyle Leatherberry), the barista, who lied about being close to Emma? Or maybe, it's Jasmine (Nthenya Ndunda), who was sleeping with Emma's boyfriend? There's also the mystery man Emma was cheating with, the cause of her violent fight with Adam, the night she died.
At the same time, Molly begins dreaming of Emma every night. She feels it's her own psyche warning her of the dangers lurking around her. Can she figure out who the real threat is before it's too late?
WHAT WORKS: *Brant Daugherty is the standout here, as Brady Farris. He's the only one who gives a believable performance.
*This movie has good cover art. So many of these TV movies don't, so it's definitely worth a mention.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *The delivery of the dialog seems forced throughout this movie. It's like they filmed the first run through rehearsal. I half expected the actors to have scripts in their hands. It's probably because the dialog is hollow, which makes the execution seem lacking. The story is there, but without a foundation, there's nothing to build on.
*NO ONE would leave the victim's phone where the potential killer could get at it, especially after the guy you suspect, gets into the dorm whenever he wants. You'd hide the phone. It's a giant mistake no one would make.
*NO COPS ARE THIS STUPID! I am so sick of seeing this plot hole again and again. The police would listen to the victim's friends about her state of mind, and that of her boyfriend. She had a volatile relationship, and was supposed to meet him that night. The suicide note is one line, and could mean anything. Cops also don't like being bullied by rich people. Some douche has his daddy's attorney make a phone call, and the cops would listen? That type of behavior would draw more attention to the douchy boyfriend, not away from him. There are so many work arounds for this problem, but having cops be this stupid, INSULTS THE AUDIENCE! Also, cops can NOT restrict someone's movements, or liberties, without a warrant. In other words, when cops say, "Don't leave town," it's just a suggestion.
*The main character that's killed is unneeded. If a death was needed, it should have been Jasmine (Nthenya Ndunda). She was an ancillary character, and her death would have fulfilled the desperation of the killer. It's just one more thing that's off-putting.
*Jake Helgren has written some very entertaining melodramas, (The Legend of Alice Flagg (2016) and Nightmare Nurse (2016)) and some real stinkers (Killer Dream Home (2020) and Stripped (2019)). This is somewhere in between. I don't get how The Legend of Alice Flagg (2016), which was also filmed in 2015, also in South Carolina, and also starring Lexi Giovagnoli, could be so good, and this is so mediocre.
*This movie has a terrible trailer. It doesn't tell you much about the movie, or the characters. I could have done better on my phone.
TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I doubt if I'd recommend this movie. It's dialog is forced, the pacing plods along at a snails pace, overall, it's too banal, and too clichéd.
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. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.