Lifetime Review: 'Tempted by Danger'

As far as Nicole Brooks (Gabrielle Graham) is concerned, her life couldn't be better. With a thriving career as a lawyer under her belt and being on the cusp of making partner, Nicole couldn't imagine her life needing anything else. Her older sister Angela (Keshia Knight Pulliam), however, feels otherwise. She worries that her sister is becoming too wound up in her career and is itching to get her back in the dating scene.

So when she hires Michael Langdon (Michael Xavier) as a new strategist at the advertising firm she runs, Angela is quick to set him and Nicole up on a date. Despite herself, Nicole is taken with the handsome and charismatic Michael, and is soon in a whirlwind romance she never expected. But as Nicole's relationship with Michael intensifies, so does Michael's possessiveness over her. As Nicole and Angela begin to suspect that Michael is not all that he appears to be, Michael proves that he has no intention of letting Nicole go without a fight....

Among Lifetime's most popular plotlines, the "I'm Dating a Psycho" story is one that has been explored time and time again. Watching the latest iteration, Tempted by Danger, brought to mind a Lifetime-ian film that actually got a theatrical release: 2015's The Perfect Guy, another film that follows the familiar Lifetime beats of a woman learning her seemingly perfect new boyfriend is unstable and dangerous--with both films sharing in common the minor alteration of having a predominantly Black main cast. The Perfect Guy (which I've not seen) was roundly roasted by critics for its bland and color-by-numbers plot, and Tempted by Danger's biggest pitfall is that it falls into the same trap.

Just about every plot beat in Tempted by Danger is something that's been seen in other Lifetime films that follow the "My Boyfriend's a Psycho" story. Even the film's attempt at a climax plot twist isn't anything new. While many Lifetime movies in the past have spun entertaining stories from familiar plot threads, Tempted by Danger spends more time sticking to the formula than adding their own spin to it.

But where the story fails to provide enticing material, the characters and the cast behind them are able to pick up the slack. While they both have their stiff moments, Gabrielle Graham and Michael Xavier prove to be a compelling duo as we see Nicole and Michael's Hallmark-esque romance turn into a nightmare for the latter. Graham is likable enough as we see her and Michael hit it off, apart from her and Xavier being left with some awkward dialogue to work with for Nicole and Michael's first date. Later on, though, Graham truly shines as we see Nicole pick up on Michael's concerning behavior and find her life beginning to fall apart as Michael lashes out against her. Graham brings a lot of emotion to Nicole as she finds the good life she's worked so hard for begin to crumble, and despite the script forcing her to make some requisite Lifetime Protagonist mistakes for the sake of the plot, Nicole remains a heroine you can consistently root for and sympathize with.

And even with the formulaic script working against him, Xavier brings effortless charm to Michael. While the writing might not differentiate Michael Langdon from the countless psychotic boyfriends Lifetime has spawned over the years, Xavier makes him memorable by laying on the suave charisma, making it believable that Nicole and Angela would be so taken by him that they would initially dismiss his red flag behavior. Even as the film takes Michael through the standard plot beats, Xavier's charm remains as he takes a chillingly laid-back approach to Michael's sinister actions in the climax, bringing a sprinkling of something new to an otherwise routine character.

Joining Michael in characters salvaged by appealing performances is Nicole's sister Angela, who starts the film off on the wrong foot with me by trying to goad her sister into dating--in spite of her clear disinterest--and almost giving the impression that she feels Nicole's career success is somehow lessened by the fact that she doesn't have a man in her life. Angela takes another few sporadic hits throughout the film, from convincing Nicole that Michael's clearer possessive behaviors are understandable to more egregiously SPOILER ALERT hiring Michael to work for her without proper background checks; a suspension of disbelief too big to accept. Spoilers Over But thanks to a charming performance from Keshia Knight Pulliam, who shares great chemistry with Xavier and especially Graham, Angela emerges from her rougher moments as a likable character who becomes nothing short of an ally for her sister.

(Also, considering the film that follows Angela's matchmaking mission, Tempted by Danger could be seen as a way of calling criticism to the "Overbearing Matchmaker Family Member" trope)

Nicole's work partner Kyle is a memorably fun supporting character thanks to Dan Mousseau's performance, with Mousseau and Graham playing off of each other perfectly throughout Nicole and Kyle's adorable friendship. Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz and Sima Sepehri finish the strong supporting cast as Angela's husband Rod and her assistant Padma, with both being given shades of much-appreciated Genre Savvy (Rod is the first to suspect something off about Michael and Padma follows close behind), and Padma marks the rare instance of SPOILER ALERT a suspicious supporting character investigating the main antagonist on their own and not ending up dead or even hospitalized! Spoilers Over

Had it been stuck with a weaker cast, Tempted by Danger wouldn't have worked as well as it did due to its extremely well-worn plot that sticks far too closely to the formula for its own good. But thanks to a strong crew that brings life to their characters and do what they can with the script to add a little something new to what could've been a boring mess, Tempted by Danger becomes an enjoyable Lifetime drama that will keep your attention, despite the familiar plot beats. It doesn't earn many points for originality, but Tempted by Danger certainly makes up for them in its unexpected charm.

Score: 7 out of 10 jungle gyms.