Lifetime Review: 'Wrath: A Seven Deadly Sins Story'

Synopsis:

With a successful career in corporate law and a lovely home in the city, life for Chastity Jeffries (Michelle Williams) is pretty good. It gets even better when a night out leads to her meeting fellow lawyer Xavier Collins (Antonio Cupo). Handsome and charismatic, Xavier initially seems to be everything Chastity could ask for and the two start dating. But soon after their one-month anniversary, a different side of Xavier comes to light. When his short temper ends up putting her in the hospital, Chastity realizes her boyfriend is not the man she thought he was and breaks things off. But it'll take more than that if Chastity wants to escape Xavier's wrath alive...

Story:

If you've seen any other Lifetime movie about a woman finding out her new boyfriend has a dark side, Wrath: A Seven Deadly Sins Story contains several of the usual beats. But like the previous films in the Seven Deadly Sins series, the script takes a more down-to-earth approach to telling its oft-tread story. While Xavier has his deranged moments, he doesn't go full mad hatter like other Lifetime abusive boyfriends. It's a well-maintained change of pace and Xavier's segue from dream guy to nightmare is a realistic transformation. The plot moves at a steady pace that keeps your interest locked in, getting assistance from the well-developed characters and the actors playing them.

Characters:

Of those characters, however, two stick out as being pretty shaky in the development department: Victor and Sarah Jeffries, Chastity's parents. Early on, it's established that Victor was a difficult-to-please father to Chastity for as long as she could remember. He shames her for working in corporate law. He disapproves of Xavier for superficial reasons rather than for any of the legitimate reasons there are to disapprove of him. When Chastity finally stands up to him and calls him out for not accepting anything she's done as good enough, he dismisses her feelings and justifies his behavior as having gotten her to where she was in her career. As for Sarah, she spends a good chunk of her surprisingly limited screentime (surprising given how Tina Knowles-Lawson is featured on the promotional art alongside Michelle Williams) making excuses for her husband and giving Chastity the "he's still your father, so you need to respect him" spiel.

With all this in mind, it would seem Wrath is subtly pointing out how Chastity's upbringing made her accustomed to overlooking toxic male behavior, making her susceptible to someone like Xavier. But when it comes down to Victor acknowledging his role in Chastity falling under Xavier's spell, it doesn't come across that he fully admits to how damaging his actions were. Even Chastity ends up giving him a free pass out of the belief that his parenting really is responsible for her successful career. But at least Victor somewhat realizes the error of his ways. That puts him a notch above Sarah, who never has any kind of epiphany over how wrong she was to dismiss her husband's misdeeds, thus planting the seed for Chastity to (initially) do the same with Xavier. On the next rung of the characterization ladder sits Chastity's ex-boyfriend Roger Thompkins. While his main function in the plot is basically to be Chastity's sane love interest, he's still a likable man who works to help his old flame stay safe after learning how dangerous her situation with Xavier is. While he might start to smother Chastity a little, you can see his heart is in the right place.

As for Xavier and Chastity, they're a pair of well-rounded main characters. For all her professional success, Chastity isn't as prosperous in the social arena. Her romantic life is established as having been a disaster, even before she met Xavier. As discussed earlier, this can be linked to the tense relationship she has with her father, which leaves her with a blind spot when it comes to red flag behavior in her partners. At the same time, she's quick to recognize when Xavier has crossed an inexcusable line and cuts him out of her life before things can escalate further. She then starts taking all the necessary protective measures without letting her jilted ex's threats scare her into isolation. In the midst of her fear, Chastity's strength remains.

As stated before, Xavier makes for an authentic depiction of a narcissistic domestic abuser. Even as he's wooing Chastity, hints of his possessive nature peek through the mask. If we're to believe Xavier really regrets hurting Chastity, his attitude and actions when she rightfully breaks up with him show he's unwilling to recognize how abusive he's gotten or put any effort into changing for the better. He blows up at Chastity in the same breath he uses to "apologize." He rejects the advice of his colleague and even his therapist. And of course, he takes the breakup as a cue to stalk and threaten Chastity. If you've had experience with a toxic or abusive partner, a lot of what Xavier does and says might strike a chord.

Acting:

Michelle Williams and Antonio Cupo share excellent chemistry together and both of them work wonders with the rich characters they're given to play. Williams brings a consistent dose of fire to her portrayal of a successful attorney who knows her worth and refuses to put up with people who wish to tear her down. Whether Chastity's dealing with her domineering father or her volatile boyfriend, Williams brings the perfect combination of strength and vulnerability. Cupo, meanwhile, works just as well with Xavier Collins as he did with Paul Carter--another Lifetime abusive boyfriend character who's written with nuance. He keeps Xavier's transformation from suave to sinister natural, allowing his character to emerge as a true-to-life brand of evil. For all his hostile tendencies, Cupo lets you see why Chastity fell for Xavier and how he was able to keep his violent side under wraps until his obsession with Chastity sent him spiraling.

Romeo Miller gives an endearing performance as Xavier's wholesome antithesis. While Roger's relationship arc with Chastity is far from original, Miller still makes it nice to see Chastity find comfort in her high school sweetheart. While Victor's flaws aren't addressed as well as they could've been, Peter Bryant gives a convincing performance as a father whose desire to see his daughter succeed manifests in overbearing hypercriticism. But despite having just as much screentime as Bryant, Tina Knowles-Lawson doesn't get the same chance to develop Sarah Jeffries beyond her role as a protective mother and dutiful (to a fault) wife.

Overall:

With its more consistent writing, especially in regards to the inner workings of its characters' minds, Wrath outdoes both of the previous films in the Seven Deadly Sins series. There's still a few characters who don't get the growth they need, but they aren't as bad as what was seen in Lust and Envy and such writing snafus don't afflict the primary players in this story. Instead, Chastity Jeffries and Xavier Collins stand out for being just as excellently written and performed as Envy's Keisha Jones. By bringing equal parts emotional depth and dramatic action to the table, Wrath is sure to leave you feeling content rather than miffed.

Score: 8 out of 10 coffee mug Bible quotes.