Lifetime Review: 'The Wrong Man'

Kim Cassidy (Jessica Morris) has found herself in a rut in regards to her struggling writing career, and it's in the midst of a meeting with her editor Jen Bennington (Vivica A. Fox) that Kim receives some shocking news: her grandmother has passed away. After returning home for the funeral, Kim struggles to reconnect with her dementia-stricken grandfather Fred (William Goldman) while also bonding with Fred's caretaker Joey Nolan (Rib Hillis). Taken by Joey's good looks and attentive care over her grandfather, Kim finds herself starting a passionate relationship with Joey.

But despite her whirlwind romance, Kim finds herself suspicious of the circumstances surrounding her grandmother's death, as well as the mysterious warning she received from neighbor Nick Foreman (Joel Berti) to be wary of Joey. With Jen acting as her ally, Kim has to find out what Joey's endgame is before it's too late to save herself and her grandfather.

The best kind of Lifetime movies are the kind that can weave sincere emotion and character depth into their stories, thus challenging the critics who decry Lifetime as being mindless fluff entertainment. The Wrong Man is one such movie, which is among other elements that allows the film to avoid being a generic "Woman Falls for Hot Guy with Dark Secrets" Lifetime drama.

The heart of this film lies in the relationship between Kim and Fred, which will tug at the heartstrings of anyone who has had to care for an aging relative. Jessica Morris and William Goldman share excellent chemistry together in their concerned granddaughter/senile grandfather dynamic, with both also sharing strong emotional moments on their own. Morris, in particular, sells Kim's guilt over not coming to visit before her grandmother's passing to avoid having to deal with her parents' passing, making Kim a character you'll instantly sympathize with as she struggles to redeem herself for her past mistakes.

As for her entanglement with the handsome but shady Joey, Kim's grief and attraction to Joey don't blind her from the oddities regarding her father's caretaker and her grandmother's sudden demise. In a refreshing turn, Kim never allows for her relationship with Joey or her grief blind her from the suspicious goings-on around her. Kim's active approach to confronting the mysterious events that have befallen her family transforms her into something of a genre savvy protagonist, and perhaps the strongest protagonist in the DeCoteau "Wrong" series thus far.

Speaking of mysterious, The Wrong Man constructs itself to allow intrigue to build up around what exactly is going on. After Kim arrives back home, the pieces of the mystery are hinted at little by little before they finally all come together. Even after a substantial part of the mystery is revealed by the beginning of the third act, the audience is still left wondering what exactly Joey's motivations are, building up excellent suspense for the film's intense third act and conclusion.

Regarding the rest of the cast, Vivica A. Fox also acts as a genre savvy character as Kim's stern but compassionate friend and editor Jen, being quick to begin looking into Joey and warn Kim to be cautious of him. As said before, William Goldman is strong in the tearjerkingly emotional role of Fred Cassidy, and Joel Berti maintains an ambiguous air as neighbor Nick Foreman. Another shining star of the main cast, however, was Rib Hillis (having previously appeared alongside Morris and Fox in Ion Network's A Christmas Cruise, where he also appears as Morris' love interest) as the handsome but dubious Joey Nolan.

As Joey, Hillis injects Joey with a natural charm that makes it understandable why Kim is so instantly drawn to him. Hillis also shares strong chemistry with Morris and, like Goldman, shares some strong emotional scenes with her. Hillis also brings a subtle menace to Joey as the film progresses which changes the dynamic between Joey and Kim, with Hillis and Morris playing this dynamic as well as their first. Revelations during the climax also allow for Hillis to bring out a different side to Joey, allowing for Joey to transform into a more emotionally complex villain than is typically seen in this sort of movie.

While its deliberate pace won't suit everyone, The Wrong Man has a lot going for it that makes it an easy recommendation: a strong cast, developed characters, a strong villain, and a lot of heart to back up the Lifetimey thrills. While it may not be the most well-known of DeCoteau's "Wrong" saga, The Wrong Man stands out as a gem of the series.

Score: 10 out of 10 black leather gloves.