Review: Dangerous Lies

Release date: April 30, 2020
Running time: 96 minutes
Starring: Camila Mendes, Jessie T. Usher, Jamie Chung 

Dangerous Lies is the story of a struggling young couple Adam (Usher) and Katie (Mendes) who are just trying to just make ends meet.  After unfortunately losing her waitressing job, Katie now takes a job as a caretaker for Lenard Wellsley--a wealthy elderly man--in his giant Chicago manor.  Katie and Lenard really take a liking to each other but after his unexpected passing, he chooses Katie as the beneficiary of his estate. This now takes the young couples lives into a completely different direction, filled with deception, lies, and murder.  In this mystery thriller film, everyone's motives are brought into question and Katie will have to suspect even those closest to her if she hopes to survive.

Camila Mendes--whose name is highlighted on the official poster and rightfully so--does a tremendous job as the lead and really shines throughout the film.  A film like this requires her to display a lot of emotions and mannerisms and Mendes rises to this challenge.  Jesse T Usher is truly becoming more of a household name, however, although he has had success on other projects, I felt that his initial performance in this film was awkward.  But despite this initial awkwardness, the performances evolve into a very interesting dynamic between the two leads.  And although the film is mostly about these two characters, they are helped along by some substantial, if limited, performances by the supporting characters including the very talented Jamie Chung.

Dangerous Lies is a film unlike anything Netflix has recently released.  This thriller mystery film truly makes its viewers put on their investigator hats to unravel a plot that pulls you in every direction as you attempt to solve this crime.  Additionally, some very interesting cinematography techniques help to elevate the mystique in numerous scenes.  The story of Dangerous Lies was fulfilling as it kept making the viewer guess.  The plot wasn't predictable; every time one could make assumptions about the ultimate resolution, the chair was pulled right out from under you and causing the viewers to stay invested the entire time.  The deeper into the story you get the more suspicious you become of each and every character, causing you to constantly revisit your mental chalk board to reevaluate the case and all the players.  None the less, as entertaining as this film was to watch, the conclusion fell flat with an unfulfilling resolution.  This did feel like the culmination of a lot of unrealistic elements in the film that do give the overall film an unserious tone.  Because of this, it Dangeorus Lies is overall an entertaining, but average film.  

If you are looking for your next True Crime or ID Channel fix, this movie is right up your alley.  But for others this may not be the weekend blockbuster you have been dying to see.  Dangerous Lies has a stellar performance by Camila Mendes, and a story with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Rent it.