Lifetime Review: 'Happily Never After'

Synopsis:

Laura Davis (Erinn Fredin) and her boyfriend Pete Wynn (Rich Holton) have been together for six years and Laura has finally convinced Pete that it's time for them to tie the knot. So after she wins a contest to have her wedding put together for free by esteemed "Wedding Whisperer" Faith Irwin (Alexis Allotta), Laura is over the moon. But after meeting their wedding planner, Pete is much less excited. The reason? Faith is the woman he spent a passionate weekend with during a time when he and Laura were having problems. Desperate not to lose Laura, Pete begs Faith not to tell her about his indiscretion and Faith agrees to keep the secret and remain professional. But as the wedding planning begins, it becomes clear that Faith has no intention of letting Pete reject her again. Instead of giving Laura her dream wedding, Faith is going to do whatever it takes to keep her and Pete from walking down the aisle...

Story:

Dramatic irony runs heavy throughout Happily Never After. With Pete's dalliance with Faith being revealed to the viewer right away, we get to watch as Laura unknowingly befriends the woman aiming to steal her soon-to-be husband from her. It's a familiar but well-paced game of cat-and-mouse where the mouse doesn't even realize they're being preyed upon. In addition to that, there are also the bouts of conflict between Pete and Faith as she slowly makes it clear she's not about to let him go without a fight. While there is some missed potential regarding all that goes down between the two former paramours, it's still an entertaining dynamic while it lasts. Lastly, there's the matter of the film's strong climax and unexpected ending, which ties in with the cold open in an admirably unique way.

Characters:

When Faith calls Laura "oblivious," it's hard not to agree with her. Despite Faith putting on a rather icy demeanor for a supposed "Wedding Whisperer," Laura continues idolizing her and brushing off Faith's overt efforts to destroy her self-esteem. With that said, though, Laura is an otherwise likable heroine. With the second half of the movie seeing Laura get put through the wringer, especially once it's revealed what caused her and Pete's previous relationship problems, you're bound to sympathize with the poor woman. Similarly, while it's tempting to condemn Pete for his affair and not coming clean to Laura right away, it becomes clear in the last act that his love for Laura and his remorse for cheating on her are both genuine.

As for Faith, apart from the unsubtle snobbishness that would realistically drive even the most avid fan away, she's a deliciously fiendish and petty villainess. While she admittedly has reason to be upset at Pete for making a mistress out of her before abruptly dumping her, Faith's revenge scheme quickly becomes inexcusable. Whether she's sabotaging Laura or threatening Pete into submission, Faith makes it clear she's having fun toying with her former lover and unwitting romantic rival. Like the other two main characters, Faith is at her best during the latter half of the movie. Of the tiny collection of side characters, Laura's friend Antonia is the one who makes the biggest impact. This is thanks to her affable nature, her deep concern for her best friend, and her willingness to call Faith out for what she is--even if Laura can't see it herself. It's just too bad Antonia's arc with Laura comes to such an unsatisfying end.

Acting:

All three of Happily Never After's lead actors suffer from the same problem: stiffness. Erinn Fredin, Alexis Allotta, and Rich Holton each deal with it to some degree, though Holton's stiffness is the most noticeable. It gets to a point where he spends a lot of the film (intentionally or otherwise) playing Pete as a monotoned robot. But as the movie progresses and their characters start to grow and open up emotionally, the trio loosens up and starts giving more compelling performances. Fredin and Holton come together to create a touching portrayal of a troubled but loving couple while Allotta digs into her role with a cruel brand of snarky sass. Together, they sell the twisted relationships between their characters and give the conflicts between them juice. Franchesca Fojas also delivers as the film's only noteworthy side character, giving Antonia all the necessary charm and spunk to make you cheer her on as she tries to get Laura to see the truth about her new "friend."

Overall:

While it's not a picture perfect fairytale of a movie, Happily Never After has enough to offer to make for an entertaining watch. The drama that brews between the primary characters is delicious and the pacing keeps the story from stalling like a faulty limo engine. There's even a few fleeting comedic beats throughout the film that are sure to make you giggle or put a smile on your face. If you're not busy sampling wedding cakes or recovering from a raucous bachelorette party, Happily Never After is a solid Lifetime thriller to end the day on.

Score: 6 out of 10 upper-right thigh moles.