Lifetime Review: 'Designed to Kill'

A year after having a nervous breakdown during a photo shoot, fashion photographer Jennifer Higgins (Linsey Godfrey) finds herself as the new fashion and photography teacher at Palm Vista High School in Los Angeles. Soon after arriving at the school, Jennifer takes an interest in David Dolittle (Joshua Hoffman), a shy and awkward teenager who becomes a late addition to her class. Seeing potential in David as a model, Jennifer takes David under her wing, leading to a burgeoning modelling career for David that excites him, despite the concerns of his mother Suzanne (Jamie Luner).

But as it turns out, Suzanne's concerns are more warranted than she can imagine, as Jennifer's interest in David goes well beyond modelling. With her previous breakdown having been the result of an obsession with a former client, Jennifer is now intent on doing whatever is necessary to keep her latest model all to herself—even murder.

Originally released to Netflix under the title Fatal Fashion, Designed to Kill is an obsession thriller that is a perfect match for the Lifetime aesthetic. From its cold open to its surprisingly dark and uniquely shot climax, Designed to Kill is a film that was clearly shot to be as Lifetimey as possible. While more highbrow critics may dismiss this style as tacky and laughable, those who enjoy the fun of a wonderfully over-the-top Lifetime film will definitely get your fill from this one.

This successfully histrionic drama can be traced to one source: Jennifer Higgins, as played with psychotic bravado by Linsey Godfrey. The aforementioned cold open allows the viewer to instantly see the depths of Jennifer's insanity, and it is through Godfrey's performance that we see that high-octane insanity lurking behind Jennifer's mask of an encouraging mentor. From the instant look of crazed obsession that comes into her eyes when she meets David to the aroused body language she exhibits when they have their first photo shoot, Godfrey holds nothing back in painting Jennifer as the unhinged sexual predator she is. The climax also takes Jennifer's character in a surprisingly dark direction, with Godfrey handling the transformation with ease.

Joshua Hoffman, meanwhile, makes for a likable protagonist whose performance allows his naivete regarding Jennifer to be understandable rather than frustrating. Hoffman does well in his portrayal of David as a socially awkward teen, with the makeup team behind Designed to Kill helping by transforming the conventionally attractive Hoffman into someone you could believably see become a target of petty high school bullies and more sinister predators. Once Jennifer takes him under her wing and transforms him into a successful model, Hoffman allows David to maintain much of his meek and unassertive personality, making it more understandable why he would be so taken by Jennifer's charms and vulnerable to her deception. While there are a few moments where David's obliviousness to Jennifer's true nature becomes too much, David mostly keeps his toes off the line between naive and unlikably dense, making the third act moment when David finally stands up to Jennifer much more cathartic.

As the film's eventual secondary protagonist, Ellen Michelle Monohan does well as David's equally reserved love interest Caitlyn, sharing adorable chemistry with Hoffman as their relationship develops and giving a solid performance on her own (apart from a few overly stiff deliveries). Lifetime veteran Jamie Luner makes the most of her underused role, with Suzanne acting as a self-aware Audience Surrogate and quickly coming to suspect Jennifer of wrongdoing. At the same time, Luner wisely plays Suzanne as something of an embittered and mildly neglectful mother to David, which makes it understandable why David not only falls victim to Jennifer, but outright refuses to believe his mother when she attempts to warn him about her.

Maria Pallas and Stevie Johnson are both similarly solid as talent agent Andrea and school principal Wilson, with the latter joining Suzanne in Audience Surrogate-ness by refreshingly subverting the "Clueless Authority Figure" trope in regards to Jennifer's later actions. Zachary Roozen and Heather Hopkins also appear as bullies Trey and Brittany, with both going whole hog in playing their respective characters as relentlessly cruel and shamelessly two-faced.

As a whole, Designed to Kill is certain to make for an entertaining watch among those who enjoy Lifetime at its Lifetime-iest. Having a love-to-hate villainess and well-written characters with strong actors to bolster them, it's the perfect film to unwind to on a weekend if you have a penchant for over-the-top Lifetime villains who are fun to watch be evil. Come for Linsey Godfrey as a predatory psychopath, and stay for the well-made film surrounding her.

Score: 9 out of 10 cups of Spanish coffee.