Lifetime Review: 'Sorority Sister Killer'

Synopsis:

College started out so well for Lacey Montgomery and Tara George (Sarah Fisher and Paige Kriet). Not only did the best friends get accepted into the same school and get placed in the same dorm room, but they both decided to pledge the same sorority: Kappa Tau Pi. With Lacey being a Kappa legacy thanks to her mother Britney (René Ashton), she and Tara expect their Greek experience to be a fun time. Unfortunately, this quickly proves not to be the case once the girls learn that Kappa Tau Pi engages in horrific hazing practices. Lacey immediately denounces the sorority, with Tara's refusal to join her tearing a rift in their friendship. But things go from bad to worse when the girls get into a fight at a sorority party...and Tara is later found dead. Dubbed the prime suspect by the police and shunned by almost everyone on campus, Lacey is determined to uncover the truth about what happened to Tara--even if it means bringing some shocking secrets to light.

Story:

Sorority Sister Killer has an interesting plot structure. It starts in media res as Lacey is first being interviewed by Detectives Fuller and Cross about Tara's death before going back to show how it all transpired. Even when that part of the movie is over, flashbacks appear intermittently to reveal new information. It's a compelling format that fits perfectly with Sorority Sister Killer's excellently constructed mystery. There's a good collection of suspects and the truth behind who killed Tara and why is sure to surprise you. It all ends in a climax where the revelations will leave you shocked and saddened by the implications behind them. Once you get past the sluggish and exposition-heavy opening minutes spent introducing Kappa Tau Pi and its associates, Sorority Sister Killer will have your undivided attention.

Characters:

With all that she has to go through over the course of the film, it's near impossible not to root for Lacey Montgomery. Between losing her best friend in more ways than one and getting hassled by both the police and her fellow classmates, Lacey is left with very few people in her corner. The only time your sympathy for Lacey might waver is when she neglects to report the Kappa Tau Pi hazing to the police, but believe me, it's a mistake that Lacey definitely pays for. The same can't be said for the ill-fated Tara, who abruptly goes from loyal friend to raging nightmare after she and Lacey see the true face of the sorority they're pledging. Between Tara defending the incredibly abusive hazing (something which makes no sense when all is revealed) and the unwarranted resentment she'd apparently developed against Lacey, the film's efforts to posthumously redeem Tara come up short. At least Lacey's fallout with Tara leads to her befriending the lovable Rachael, who joins the equally lovable Britney in having Lacey's back from beginning to end.

As for the rest of the college crew, it's a mix of catty enemies and unreliable so-called allies. The worst of the latter would be Lacey's ex-boyfriend Lex, who initially seems like a decent guy remorseful over how badly he treated Lacey during their relationship. But as the movie goes on, Lex proves that Lacey was smart to dump Lex when she did as his behavior goes from nice to nauseating. He still has a drinking problem, despite claiming he's gotten better. He tries to make a move on Lacey while she's dealing with the fallout of Tara's death and yells at her for not reciprocating. SPOILER ALERT It's even revealed that Lex slept with Tara after he and Lacey broke up, sent her threatening texts afterward, and had sex with her again during her sorority initiation. The fact that Lex goes through with the latter tryst despite Tara's abundantly visible discomfort makes all his other creepy actions look even worse. Spoilers Over

Lex makes for a disturbingly realistic depiction of toxicity, being a subdued monster when compared to Courtney McCray, the more overtly malicious president of Kappa Tau Pi. Still, between brainwashing her pledges into silence and having her equally awful mother/Kappa's den mother Lana at her defense, it makes sense that Courtney would feel free to openly abuse her pledges. The least infuriating member of the McCray family is Courtney's shy sister Ella, who eventually comes around to supporting Lacey in her fight to clear her name. SPOILER ALERT That makes Ella's reveal as Tara's killer all the more shocking, with Ella's actions showing just how deep and genuine her remorse is. She was kind to the persecuted Lacey, exposed herself by texting an apology to Lacey on Tara's phone, and was prepared to kill herself in a manner reminiscent of how she killed Tara. Her remorse feels a lot more real than Courtney's paper-thin regret for how she'd been mistreating Ella and the Kappa pledges. Spoilers Over

Lastly, there's the pair of detectives investigating Tara's death who are memorable for how they're at opposite ends of the likability spectrum. While Detective Cross is a reasonable investigator who gives Lacey the benefit of the doubt, Detective Fuller immediately treats her with hostility and throws some very nasty attitude at her and Britney for being rightfully upset about her unprofessional conduct. While she does eventually lighten up as she and Cross investigate the case further, it may be too little too late for some viewers.

Acting:

Admittedly, the acting is shaky in the beginning as all the film's focus is put on how sweet Kappa Tau Pi looks like from the outside. While the pseudo-saccharinity serves a purpose, the cast oversells the effect. But after the sorority's true colors come out, all the once stilted performances loosen up. Sarah Fisher gives a top-notch lead performance, throwing herself into Lacey's emotional journey as she combats a toxic sorority, a treacherous best friend, a slimy ex-boyfriend, and a whole campus that thinks she's a murderer. René Ashton shares solid mother-daughter chemistry with Fisher, and on her own, exudes some fierce Mama Bear energy as she defends her daughter and comforts her in her time of need. Triana Browne is effortlessly endearing as Rachael, as is Carolyn Grundman as Ella, the comparative white sheep of the McCray clan.

Speaking of, Lani Randol and Christy Tate sink their teeth into the snobbishly callous mother-daughter duo of Courtney and Lana McCray. Tyler Lain (who played good guy Kyle in Sisters for Life) does great work as the less obviously repulsive Lex while Paige Kriet does what she can to try and make Tara sympathetic after she abruptly turns on her best friend. On a similar note, Sabreena Iman at least gives a good performance as the hyperaggressive Detective Fuller, with Brooks Ryan complementing his co-star as he plays Detective Cross with much more level-headed decorum.

Overall:

It's through its script that Sorority Sister Killer rises to the top of the Lifetime sorority thriller mountain. The murder mystery at its center is compellingly written and paced, the main characters are well-developed, and it wraps up on a surprisingly emotional conclusion. Add in the strong casting and Sorority Sister Killer is a Lifetimey treat best enjoyed over a freshly ordered pizza. As cruel and disgusting as Kappa Tau Pi's hazing tactics are, at least they ended up setting into motion the engrossing events of this top-notch Lifetime movie.

Score: 9 out of 10 yellow leis.