"Lena Girard" (Stacy Haiduk) is married to a first-class jerk named "Guy Girard" (Ron Silver) who treats her with contempt and openly cheats on her at every opportunity. So one night after an argument she kills him and cleverly rearranges the scene to make it look like an intruder murdered her husband and brutally raped her in the process. However, after two detectives who arrive to investigate they come up with different conclusions on who the perpetrator was. "Jimmy Price" (Linden Ashby) was friends with both Guy and Lena and believes that Lena was a victim while his partner, "Connie Roos" (Suzy Amis) is convinced that Lena murdered Guy in order to inherit a fortune worth millions of dollars. Unfortunately for Connie, the facts in the case seem pretty concrete and as the days go by the burden of proof becomes much more difficult for her to prove otherwise. Now rather than reveal any more of this film and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a surprisingly risqué made-for-television movie with Stacy Haiduk definitely providing some sexual energy. Additionally, it also contained a rather clever twist towards the end. In any case, this was a pretty good femme fatale which viewers who enjoy this type of movie might want to check out. Above average.
6 Reviews
A mildly enjoyable mediocre no-brainer with murder, sex, etc.
=G=27 December 2001
"The Beneficiary" tells of a woman who is investigated for the murder of her husband, becomes romantically involved with one of the investigators, etc. Not a "thriller" but a drama with murder and sex and all that other good escapist stuff, this flick is mediocre at best with the only above average aspect being its tortuous and somewhat convoluted story which may be an interesting watch for those who aren't too analytical. So, if you happen across it on t.v., turn off your brain and enjoy. C+
Above-average thriller.
Hermit C-210 July 1999
Warning: Spoilers
There's no question whodunnit in this movie--we see that early on for ourselves as a woman kills her husband and arranges it to look as if an intruder in their home did it, along with raping her. What isn't clear is why she did it. Her husband is cheating on her but that doesn't seem to be the motive. She's the beneficiary of a $6 million insurance policy but she gives that to charity. The detectives assigned to investigate are split on the matter. The female partner smells something fishy about the wife's story, but the male detective wants to believe the widow and soon gets romantically involved with her.
That last item may be a cliche in thrillers of this type but this movie does a good job of telling a fresh story in a genre where it seems like every plot twist has been done many times before. Stacy Haiduk is good as the cool and conniving murderer and 'The Beneficiary' is an above-average thriller.
That last item may be a cliche in thrillers of this type but this movie does a good job of telling a fresh story in a genre where it seems like every plot twist has been done many times before. Stacy Haiduk is good as the cool and conniving murderer and 'The Beneficiary' is an above-average thriller.
Clever
billyhammer13 June 2003
A cleverly written thriller, The Beneficiary shines because of its cast, particularly Stacy Haiduk who shines as the conniving lead of the film. Also great are Ron Silver and Suzy Amis, who like Stacy Haiduk, doesn't seem to be getting the quality parts that she richly deserves.
A great opportunity to see great actors in a decently made b-movie.
A great opportunity to see great actors in a decently made b-movie.
A Thriller Plus
CVS-425 January 1999
This is an excellent suspense thriller. Suzy Amis, a police detective, matches wits with a very sly murderer, as portrayed by Stacy Haiduk. This movie has more interesting twists and turns then what you'll find in three suspense thrillers. A ten from start to finish.
Smirks All Around
corvus-38 February 1999
No, it ain't "Body Heat", or even "Double Indemnity", but it is a viewable femme fatal vehicle, although it borrows from the above-mentioned films, and even a little from "The Last Seduction".
With the exception of a heavy-handed soundtrack, the production value is appropriately murky as the plot twists back on itself.
All bases get covered by the time the deceiver gets deceived, and its only weak moment is when the filmmakers tag on a bogus "hope" ending.
A good watch. Not outrageous, but it'll leave you with a smirk.
With the exception of a heavy-handed soundtrack, the production value is appropriately murky as the plot twists back on itself.
All bases get covered by the time the deceiver gets deceived, and its only weak moment is when the filmmakers tag on a bogus "hope" ending.
A good watch. Not outrageous, but it'll leave you with a smirk.
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