I was quite excited about this movie when I saw the trailer as it reminded me of Knives Out. However, a couple days before release, Netflix dropped a promo video with Looper that should've been my first big warning sign, as it mentioned that the director and writer have only done Hallmark movies. Dangerous Lies isn't anywhere near the comedy and genius of Rian Johnson's Knives Out, nor is its cast anywhere near is stacked as the former was with scenery-chewing talent. Think soapy thriller with plot "twists" you can predict 20 minutes in and you'll be much more on the nose. The plot and script were just bad, and I say that as someone who really enjoys Lifetime thrillers and Riverdale as their guilty pleasure.
The cast was mediocre to passable. None of them stood out to me. At best their acting could be called serviceable, but none of them showed the skill necessary to elevate the script from the melodrama and cliches that bogged it down. I found Mendes to be one-note and flat, and her range to be fairly limited. Jesse T. Usher has done incredible work in The Boys and is a real up and coming actor, but even he was just okay here. Strangely, veteran actor Elliot Gould is the weakest link here.
The cast was mediocre to passable. None of them stood out to me. At best their acting could be called serviceable, but none of them showed the skill necessary to elevate the script from the melodrama and cliches that bogged it down. I found Mendes to be one-note and flat, and her range to be fairly limited. Jesse T. Usher has done incredible work in The Boys and is a real up and coming actor, but even he was just okay here. Strangely, veteran actor Elliot Gould is the weakest link here.