Süße 17, tödliches Biest

I recently stumbled across this film on TNT five minutes into it, while on vacation in Florida... (hey there has to be some down time in the hotel, right?) I was initially surprised to see Melissa Joan Hart in any feature length film on TNT. I mean "Drive Me Crazy" isn't THAT old already, is it?

But I stuck with it, and was thoroughly surprised and entertained. Melissa plays her role as the psychotic Jennifer excellently. The supporting cast (Nick, the ex-con boyfriend; Karen, her best friend; and her life-controlling parents) all added a great degree of believability. The twist at the end was a nice closure to this tale of the girl who always seemed to be one step ahead of everybody.

If you get a chance, check it out!

I must say that back then they knew how to make good based on true story movies. The script and acting was impressing. And I Have seen ca. 3000 movies. I give it a strong 7 out of 10

Repressed teenager Jennifer Stanton meets Nick Ryan at a gas station and soon forms a close relationship with him, which she keeps secret from her parents. Nick has a reputation for having spent time in jail on an assault charge. When Jennifer's parents catch them in bed together and chase Nick out of the house, Jennifer continues dating Nick secretly. Jennifer is grounded for the rest of the school year.

Nick visits Jennifer's house, and proclaims his love for her. He also states what he thinks of the harsh manner in which Jennifer's father, William, treats her. William threatens to turn Nick in for Statutory Rape, and to "kick his ass" if he doesn't get lost. The next morning, William finds his car vandalized and contacts the police. Nick is questioned, but denies knowledge of the incident.

Jennifer convinces Nick to get his grandfather's pistol and kill her parents. While he plans out the murder, Jennifer tells her friends at school that she and Nick have broken up. She also presents herself to William and Susan as their idea of a model teenager. William and Susan let their daughter go for once to a slumber party.

After the killings, Jennifer moves into her grandmother's house and rekindles her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Brad. She calls the police anonymously with information that leads to their discovery of the gun. With Nick in custody, the case seems to be closed. However, Detective Daniels suspects that Jennifer knows more regarding this case than she let on during police interrogation. When confronted, Jennifer claims that Nick was angry at her parents for not letting him see her, thereby explaining Nick's motive. Meanwhile, Jennifer's best friend Karen Winkler finds her diary; it reveals how Jennifer used Nick to do away with her parents so that she could have Brad.

Karen visits Nick in jail, and tells him how he's been set up by Jennifer. When he confronts Jennifer about it, she blames Nick entirely for the murders. Upset, he admits to the police that he killed William and Susan, but that it was Jennifer's idea. Karen tries and fails to find evidence of Jennifer's involvement. When Jennifer finds out about Karen's investigation, she threatens to implicate Karen in the murders.

At Nick's murder trial, Jennifer falsely testifies that Nick harassed her. Eventually, a wired Brad manipulates Jennifer into admitting responsibility for her parents' deaths and the police arrest her.

An epilogue reveals that Jennifer Stanton was tried as a juvenile, while Nick Ryan is still in prison.

I thought this movie was exciting because it was a true story. The directer made us take a look at the characters and developed them very well. I never would have guessed the ending, because they covered it up so well. This is one thriller not to be missed!!!! I'd give it a 8/10. Well done!

This is a mediocre, made-for-TV diversion, in which Melissa Joan Hart is miscast as an evil, psychopathic teen. She tried, but evil she is not. Her engaging and charismatic personality is much better suited to her ironic role as Sabrina, the teenaged witch, on ABC Friday nights, although at twenty-three she should be getting her PhD instead of playing a high school girl, witch or otherwise. I think the original idea they had for her as a newspaper reporter would have worked. At least she wouldn't have been instantly too old for the role.

Incidentally, I understand she auditioned for the title role in Adrian Lyne's "Lolita," losing out to Dominique Swain. Funny thing about that: Hart really is the Lolita type, so much so that at the age she started playing Clarissa (perhaps 14), she would have been perfect for Nabokov's enchanter. However, by the time Lyne got around to casting for his film, she was way past sweet sixteen, and much more a young woman than a nymphet.

Had they shown her smashing that car window with a baseball bat, I might have believed this movie a little. And they could have made her a tiny bit slutty, which would have been consistent with her character. I had the sense that her mother was watching every detail of the production and didn't want Melissa to look bad, even though the character she was portraying was very bad indeed.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

I caught this movie from the murder-scene and watched it from there. Looking back, I miss that hour and a half of my life.

The acting is pretty bad. Melissa Joan Hart (who I really liked in "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch") was insanely horrible in this. Turns out, she can't do drama. Or acting, for that matter.

The plot holes were numerous. Watch (if you dare) and you'll see. It was corny. Besides MJH, the rest of the acting was pretty atrocious also (especially by the kid who pulled the trigger, the guy who played Nick). The writing was weak.

The end sequence went from pretty cool to bad and then back to pretty cool again with the last scene. But even the titles explaining what happens to the characters at the end leave you angry.

3/10.