Lifetime Review: 'Her Deadly Reflections'

Artist Kelly Moore (Helena Mattsson) seemed to have a lot going for her: a successful gallery, supportive friends, and a loving husband. But one night changed everything when Kelly was left hospitalized following a car accident, with Kelly being left with no memory of the night of the crash--or of her husband Dan (Corey Sevier). While Dan and her close friends Allison and Logan (Melanie Stone and Jake Stormoen) try to be shoulders of support, Kelly can't shake the feeling that she's still in danger--as her memories and evidence at her house show that Kelly was attacked prior to her accident.

While struggling to regain her memory, Kelly must delve into her life and see who might've had a reason to want her dead. But as Kelly digs deeper into the parts of her life she can't remember, she begins to fear that her assailant could be closer to home than she realizes....

Right off the bat, Her Deadly Reflections proves extremely similar to Was I Really Kidnapped?, another Lifetime film centering around an amnesiac main heroine. Both films also center around their amnesiac protagonist working to find out who was responsible for the attack that brought on their amnesia, suspecting the culprit to be someone they know. Thankfully, despite the film sharing in common some of Was I Really Kidnapped?'s troubles with pace and mystery building, Her Deadly Reflections proves a more enjoyable view thanks greatly to its strong cast.

Having previously appeared together in Win, Lose, or Love as friends turned eventual love interests, Helena Mattsson and Corey Sevier rekindle their on-screen chemistry as Kelly and Dan Moore, whose relationship alternates between supportive and tense as a result of Kelly's amnesia. Mattsson and Sevier play well off of each other during these transitions, and while Her Deadly Reflections' middle act has moments where the actions drags to a snail's pace, Mattsson and Sevier's charismatic performances help alleviate the tedium. Mattsson, in particular, throws herself into the effect Kelly's amnesia has on her with the same conviction she displayed in her performance as His Deadly Affair's Danielle Turner. Unlike the uneven performance given by Michelle Mylett in Was I Really Kidnapped?, Mattsson consistently portrays Kelly as someone devastated and fearful of the scary situation she finds herself in: amnesiac, in grave danger, and uncertain of who she can trust.

While Dan is a diminished-in-focus character in comparison to Kelly, Sevier does well at bringing emotional depth to Dan, allowing you to feel for him as he has his own struggles with Kelly's condition while simultaneously wondering if he's hiding something from his wife. SPOILER ALERT Thought as with Was I Really Kidnapped?, it becomes clear fairly early that Dan is innocent, leaving the mystery somewhat easy to solve. However, breaking away from Was I Really Kidnapped? comparisons, Her Deadly Reflections has its conclusion salvaged by the inclusion of a last minute twist, which is bound to surprise those expecting the film to go down the generic route it seemed to be setting itself up for. The explosive (pun intended) finale is also amplified by the histrionic performances by Jake Stormoen and Melanie Stone. Spoilers Over

Gabe Casdorph is effective as Kelly's sleazy rival Reed Applegate, and David McConnell does all he can to bring substance to Detective Vance, a character who is only marginally less of a "Useless Cop" trope as the characters Scott Gibson and Allison Graham were cast as in Was I Really Kidnapped?. Plot-wise, Her Deadly Reflections is diminished by bouts of overly slow pacing and a moderately predictable mystery--spiced up minutely by an intrigue-building moment in the opening act that ends up having a rather mundane resolution. But thanks to the third act revelation discussed in the Spoiler section, as well as strong lead performances from Helena Mattsson and Corey Sevier, Her Deadly Reflections is somewhat salvaged in terms of mystery and remains a solidly entertaining Lifetime drama.

Score: 7 out of 10 crazy yellow carpets.