Lifetime Review: 'Killer Competition'

Ever since she could remember, Nicole Ward (Jacqueline Scislowski) has dreamed of getting into Westbridge--her parents' alma mater--for college. But with the school's notoriously exclusive status, Nicole is shaken when Victor Miller (Philip McElroy), her rival for valedictorian, decides to apply as well. Scared that her dreams are about to be crushed, Nicole reluctantly agrees to her friend Sarah's (Cristine Prosperi) idea for improving her chances: sabotaging Victor's English midterm exam, allowing Nicole to win valedictorian over him.

Afterward, however, the guilt becomes too much for Nicole and she plans to turn herself in. But then the unthinkable happens: Victor dies in an apparent suicide, leaving Nicole devastated. But when Victor's death is ruled a homicide by the police, Nicole becomes even more scared. Getting into her dream school just became the least of Nicole's worries. Now she has to keep her wits about her as she tries to clear her name and find out who killed Victor. Will Nicole live long enough to receive her diploma--or is her academic future about to come to a violent end?

Out of the gates, Killer Competition had me fearful about its quality. Upon being introduced to Nicole Ward, a part of me worried I was in for another Sinfidelity or Her Deadly Sugar Daddy situation: a main protagonist too unlikable to care about. With Nicole's reason for wanting to go to Westbridge seemingly not going beyond "because my parents went there", her outrage at Victor for applying to "her school" feels like the whinings of an entitled brat. As such, it makes it pretty hard to sympathize with her deciding that Victor's rudeness to her and perceived privilege is justification for sabotaging his grades. Not helping is that Victor's implied interest in Westbridge is considerably better than Nicole's (his mention of their impressive business program makes me think it's his major).

But as the film went on, not only does Nicole's character become likable, but Killer Competition emerges as an engaging mystery. A lot of credit goes out to Jacqueline Scislowski's performance. After making a solid Lifetime debut in Cheer Camp Killer as a supporting character, Scislowski is a marvel in her first lead performance on the channel. While Nicole doesn't start the movie on a good foot, Scislowski brings aching sincerity to Nicole's remorse after her and Sarah's cheating plot. More importantly, writer Daniel West has Nicole have this regret before Victor's death. That small detail speaks highly to Nicole's character, and Scislowski's highlight scene of the movie is when Nicole records a tearful apology to Victor--not just for sabotaging his grades, but for always seeing him as her competition. It's excellent character development that could've easily been done poorly, and it plays a big role in making Killer Competition a compelling watch.

Surrounding Nicole and Scislowski is a group of equally well-written characters with strong actors to back them up. Cristine Prosperi is as effortlessly charming and witty as Sarah as she has been in previously discussed roles. She makes it believable that Sarah and Nicole would be best friends, despite Sarah's lack of academic strive and occasional bad influence. Fellow Lifetime regulars Kate Watson and Jon Briddell appear as Nicole's parents Donna and Rick. Of the two, Watson makes the most impact as she matches Scislowski in terms of bringing emotional resonance to her character. In Watson's hands, you feel the deep love and concern Donna has for her daughter as Nicole becomes distant as a result of her predicament. That concern is additionally backed up by Donna's willingness to help her daughter once she learns the full extent of Nicole's situation. Jon Briddell is given much less to do as the docile Rick, but he bring a likable charm to his character that makes you believe he does care for his daughter--even if he's not as attentive and proactive as his wife.

(Plus, it's nice to see Lifetime finally giving Briddell another role as a wholly good-natured character after seemingly typecasting him as "The Asshole")

Scislowski's Cheer Camp Killer co-star Philip McElroy gives a solid performance as the ill-fated Victor Miller. He's an effective cocky jerk, but mixes in a dash of a sympathetic side so Nicole's regret over not trying to get to know Victor is believable. Gina Hiraizumi makes the most of her brief screentime to give a supportive warmth to Principal McCain and Paul London (primarily known for his WWE career) makes Detective Ramirez a memorable "Lifetime Detective" character. He brings an odd charm to the moderately prickly detective, with the script keeping him square in the position of being a hard-nosed but effective investigator.

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

Killer Competition's final act, however, cemented its strengths as a mystery. Initially, with her romantic history with Victor and forgery skills being so quickly established, Sarah seemed too obvious a suspect. Then Nicole immediately accused her of killing Victor after finding out his suicide note was forged and it seemed that option was officially off the table. It's how mysteries usually go: if a suspect is obvious in-universe and/or flat-out accused during the first or second act, they're not the culprit. So for a while, Killer Competition left me clueless as to who Victor's killer was.

Then with English teacher John Sheppard (played by Demetrius Stear) being revealed as a struggling novelist, it seemed a clean-cut reveal that was confirmed with a good amount of time left. With my hopes of seeing Cristine Prosperi play her first Lifetime villainess seemingly dashed, I braced myself for a standard climax at the school with John holding Sarah as a hostage.

But then, Killer Competition completely took me by surprise by having Sarah saunter onto the scene, completely unharmed and decked out in black. While the possibility of an alliance between Sarah and John briefly crossed my mind, I didn't think it would turn out to be the true solution. Not only is the twist a genuine surprise, but Prosperi and Stear are clearly having a blast hamming it up together during Sarah and John's confrontation with Nicole. The pair perfectly capture their characters' insanely selfish colors and motivations: wanting great success without having to put in the hard work to get it. Their deliciously dramatic performances make an already excellent climax and finale even better.

(Plus, I appreciated how the ending has Nicole not winning valedictorian and deciding not to attend Westbridge. Even with her remorse, it would've felt wrong to see her get everything she wanted after what she'd done)

Spoilers Over

While some experienced Lifetime viewers might be able to piece together Killer Competition's mystery ahead of time, the acting and characters are bound to keep you watching. The movie proves to be an excellent vehicle for Jacqueline Scislowski, and is evidence that she would make a perfect addition to the "Lifetime Familiar Faces" club. The consistently intense mood complements Scislowski's performance, and the climax takes it all to a histrionic head as the best Lifetime movies do. Those interested in an emotionally taut watch and another stellar film courtesy of MarVista Entertainment should definitely check out Killer Competition.

Score: 9 out of 10 Shakespearean betrayals.