Lifetime Review: 'The Perfect Boyfriend'

After he contacted her online, wealthy veterinarian April Hill (Ashley Scott) was ecstatic at the chance of reuniting with her high school crush Jacob Tellman (Aiden Turner) at their school's upcoming reunion. Still recovering from her divorce from her husband Chuck (Jason Brooks), the charming and attentive Jacob is a breath of fresh air to April. Following the reunion, April and Jacob begin dating, with Jacob further charming both April's mother Clara (Susan Blakely) and her son Sammy (Blake Bertrand).

But unbeknownst to April, Jacob's charm and good looks are a mask for his true conniving nature, as he's not only secret married to Karen (Jennifer Taylor), but the two are conspiring to bilk April of her family's fortune for themselves, with Jacob intent on romancing and marrying April to inherit her money. But as the nefarious couple scheme to get Chuck and Clara out of the way of their plan, Karen develops an intense jealousy of April, fearing Jacob will fall in love with her. How far will Jacob go to obtain April's wealth—and how far will Karen's mind push her before she goes over the edge?

When a Lifetime movie opens with a woman psychotically brushing her hair while ranting in her head, you'd probably expect that movie to be a hammy thrill ride. But outside of the brief antics revolving around Karen's deteriorating mental stability, The Perfect Boyfriend proves to be a more restrained Lifetime drama, with moments of Lifetime-ian histrionics being scattered throughout until the climax comes around. Despite being of a pace that has diminished other Lifetime films, The Perfect Boyfriend manages to maintain its slow-building pace without becoming dull.

The film's strength and ability to succeed under a slower pace lies with both the script and the strong cast. Ashley Scott is likable as always as April Hill, and shares strong chemistry with Aiden Turner as he charms her into a whirlwind romance. Turner, meanwhile, transforms Jacob into a villain who is as suave and charismatic as he is ruthless and self-centered. With his handsome looks, alluring accent, and effortlessly charming attitude towards both April and Sammy, you can understand why April would be so taken with him—especially given that they have history. Turner also shines when he allows Jacob's seductive facade to drop to reveal Jacob's true nature, playing his character's villainy in a subdued way that makes him all the more despicable, as well as fun to watch in action.

Joining Turner in villainy is Jacob's wife and partner-in-crime Karen, played excellently by Jennifer Taylor. While her first scene as described above may sound like the kind of hammy drama Lifetime is known for, Taylor keeps this moment restrained as part of Karen's character arc. While she is initially able to keep her jealousy relatively contained as she helps Jacob in his plot against April, the progression of Jacob's plans and her continued fear of him leaving her push her to the brink of madness.

Taylor allows for Karen's instability to emerge organically rather than having it all happen at once, which not only allows for tension to build around how long it will take for her to completely lose it, but also allows for a tragic side to emerge from Karen. Her jealousy of April seems to stem from deep insecurity about herself and her marriage to Jacob, and as the film progresses, you get the sense that Karen is as much a pawn in Jacob's greedy plan as April. While Karen fully goes over the line by the third act, The Perfect Boyfriend still maintains a sliver of sympathy for her as we see her devotion to Jacob drive her to complete insanity.

Carrie Wiita and Thor Knai are solid as April's live-in cousin Riley and Riley's boyfriend Aiden, being the first people to grow suspicious of Jacob and Karen and begin working to investigate them. Susan Blakely is likable and sympathetic as April's mother Clara and shares strong chemistry with her and her assistant Marcie (played by Jon Mack), and Briton Green is likable as an awkward employee who finds himself pulled into Karen's plans with Jacob—though his abrupt departure from the story leaves a bit of a plot hole.

In other less-than-satisfactory elements, Jason Brooks is given little development as the well-meaning but morally dubious Chuck, leaving the feeling that his character serves as little more than a plot device. His story arc regarding a corrupt developer also goes nowhere beyond working into Jacob and Karen's plans, though the side plot still succeeds in providing a bit of a departure from this sort of film's traditional formula. And while Blake Bertrand gives a good performance as the precocious and thankfully non-annoying Sammy, the fact that he has little emotional reaction to what happens within his family over the course of the film is more than a little jarring.

In the end, though, The Perfect Boyfriend is the ideal Lifetime movie for when you want the lighter and softer side of the network. Those looking for over-the-top thrills and drama might have to look elsewhere, given this film's slower pacing. But with a solid cast, a pair of villains you can get invested with, and a well-executed plot that rises above the well-treaded premise, The Perfect Boyfriend is a good choice for some a weekend Lifetime binge.

Score: 7 out of 10 HD video cameras.