Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story

This is a lifetime movie, I didn't realize that when I watched it I'm Netflix. Billy Zane is so good I didn't realize the how bad the movie was until he wasn't in it all that much. So, 10 stars for Zane, zero stars for lifetime and I'll give it 4 stars overall. It'd be great to see a real film studio make a dramatization of this insane story and hopefully get Billy Zane again!

I will preface this by saying I hate Lifetime movies. They have very little substance and they are pretty much the generic my boyfriend is stalking/trying to kill me fare.

My previous viewing of the Hulu documentary, "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence," piqued my curiosity. Billy Zane solidified it. Whatever he's in, Zane literally eats up every scene. And he doesn't disappoint even in a Lifetime movie, he delivers one of the best method acting turns the channel has ever or will see. He's literally unhinged but not in a campy way. In short, his effort including significant weight gain is Emmy worthy or at least worth a viewing.

Besides Zane's acting, the script is lightweight, typical of Lifetime. And that's disappointing because the story of this cult is gripping.

I wish I would have read the reviews before watching this. The direction of the story exposes the sloppy writing and lackluster performances. The jump from being cautious to full submission is too short. Anyone watching this would wonder what psychological manipulation was being used because it didn't appear to be effective. The college kids come across as childlike and Larry comes across as a blowhard.