If Looks Could Kill (2016 TV Movie) User Reviews

What was LMN thinking putting this on the air?

[TKBlackburn · 3/10 · 1 January 2017]

The only semi-good things about this were the original idea & the lead actresses' competent acting roles. The crazy female lead is pretty good casting, & she gives it all she has, but with bad writing it's not really savable.

Bad everything else: writing, casting, acting, cinematography (how many CUs can there be of bad makeup?), directing, & the editing - wow - the editing is stellar in its AWFULNESS. Blackouts in the middle of scenes, weird cuts that make you think they've gone to commercial when they haven't & a choice of song at the end with slow mo that never ends... It's just so bad it might be fun to watch for a laugh.

If these really are true events, it would be better served with a commitment to the comedic aspect or to the drama. Not both.

If looking would have made sense.

[doycesub · 3/10 · 22 January 2017]

I have friends in law enforcement. I have never known one of my friends to be as trusting as the detective in this movie. The whole scenario couldn't have happened. Both sides of the story of both the blond and the "attacker" would have been taken. No doctor is ever shown to confirm Jessica's pregnancy. The detective would have investigated the Jessica character before dating her. Some kind of blood work is required in most states for a marriage license. I don't think the writers knew anything about law enforcement or procedures. I can't figure what was supposed to be "true" accept maybe a Three Stooges skit or something like that!! Poor Stefanie Estes was made to look less attractive than Summer. The whole thing may be worth a viewing on a rainy afternoon which is what is going on outside right now!! Other than that find something else to watch unless you want to see a very pretty actor named Summer!!

Just about worthless

[looking_forward · 1/10 · 26 February 2019]

Nothing is believable about this lame flick. The character Faith is the only one that is worth watching, and the whole production is close to completely useless.

Not worth the time!!

[caveb-99096 · 2/10 · 27 May 2020]

I normally don't give a bad review but I couldn't even finish it.

From her trapping him into marriage, letting his cat out, false pregnancy, and her overdramric actions. Once she tried to convince the lover her cop husband was abusing her. I stopped the movie.

Only a 2 because I liked Faith.

Lifetime si ks to a new low.

[haskel-72951 · 2/10 · 8 November 2020]

Once called a filmmaker to watch, James Cullen Bressack has become a name to avoid. This is his worst effort by far. Ridiculous script, hilarious overacting, and "who cares? Just pay me" direction make this a film so bad it's....well just bad. No redeeming anything here. Skip this mess.

Awful

[CranberriAppl · 3 December 2022]

Even for a tv movie, things move too quickly and it took me out of the movie. Paul gets with Jessica in record time and there's literally not a scene bridging his "rescuing" her at the bar, and their apparent relationship. The scene where the Chief comes out of his office hamming it up and barking at Faith made me cringe and laugh. It was so over the top.

The pregnancy, the shotgun wedding....this movie is ridiculous. Nothing is making sense. Paul is a Senator's son and he plays fast and loose with who he marries/impregnates? We don't even see his parents. The place she auditions looks like one of those places you go to get bloodwork done. Jessica and Paul have no chemistry at all. It's also weird how Faith cares more about Tigger than Paul does? There's also zero interaction between Faith and Jessica after the beginning scenes until the inevitable climax.

Everything happens so fast. Why is Jessica obsessed with Hollywood? Does she have daddy issues? Why didn't she just go to HW without all this drama? Why did she target Paul? Marriage and a baby? Why does she dress like she's in the 50s but without any style? Her villain motivation is weak to non-existent. How does any of this help her become an actress? Wouldn't it be easier to cozy up to a commercial director or producer or something. I'm guessing she's going for the Marilyn/Jessica Rabbit look, but she's giving Norma Desmond. Which in hindsight, this movie should have followed that plot line a bit closer.

TV movies can sometimes get passes for laying on the camp/absurdity pretty thick, but I'm not feeling generous here....and I generally enjoy tv flicks. The funny thing is, I don't think the movie is trying to make fun of itself at all.

Awful awful awful.

If Looks Could Kill...

[bronzesrv · 1/10 · 12 February 2021]

If looks could kill, the whole cast of this movie would be dead! IT STINKS! The one stars for the young lady who is trying to play the police officer... Bless her heart! The blonde... They just don't get any Dumber in this one.🙄

Only one word can effectively describe this hot mess- Bizarre

[hoops-53436 · 1/10 · 13 June 2022]

Too many leaps in time...and leaps of faith. Cop meets girl, next scene- cop loves girl, next scene- cop marries girl. He knows nothing about her, but he marries her. Next scene- girl starts screwing young guy. Guess this is like time lapse- lots of things must happen between scenes. You don't end up caring about any of the characters, just end the dang thing.

***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 10 January 2017]

After she is busted in the shooting, our bad girl does a Norma Desmond like walk to the police car with music playing. She is totally off the wall by then and for Summer Spiro, this represents quite a good performance.

The story of a cop who falls for a woman after he arrests a man who allegedly assaults her. Claiming to be pregnant by him, they soon wed but her erratic behavior makes his partner, a female officer who loves him, even more suspicious and leads the latter to further investigate the situation.

All the leads show good acting and the police head chastises our female cop with suspension when she goes a little too far in her search for the truth.

At times leaves you scratching your head.

[jameswallwork · 2/10 · 7 June 2022]

By no means is this the best drama by far. To be completely honest I wouldn't recommend this movie at all. The plot is ok at best. The acting and constant goofs are at times so embarrassing you just have to laugh.

The only positive I can say is that Summer Spiro plays an excellent villain but, even her excellent portrayal has Jessica isn't enough to save this sinking film.

Miss Munroe Wishes That She Were Marilyn

[lavatch · 8/10 · 20 April 2020]

There was a lot of offbeat humor and a noirish feel to "If Looks Could Kill." Officer Paul Walker falls big time for a blonde whom he "rescues" from assault by a male in a bar. But it turns out that she was the instigator, not the man. Things move quickly, and the ex-Marine marries the woman who goes by the name of Jessica Munroe. In fact, the name is an alias for Jessalyne Montgomery, who has a rap sheet that includes multiple counts of fraud, aggravated assault, and solicitation.

The one comfort that Paul has in life is his everlasting friend appropriately named Faith. Officer Faith Grey has recently joined the police force, and she instantly recognizes that her friend has been played for a sucker. Faith investigates Jessica's background and tries to warn Paul. But his skull is so thick he will not even read the police blotter on his wife.

By the midpoint, the film noir style kicks in with Miss Munroe having aspirations to go to Hollywood to become a movie star. By this time, Paul has become baggage to her. She is cast in a local commercial for mattresses, and she believes that it is just a matter of time before she is discovered. The best line in the film occurs during an argument between Paul and Jessica when she says, "I'm a movie star, not a mattress star!!!"

The drama becomes tawdry and sordid when Jessica takes a lover in a young actor, whom she enlists in a dastardly plot to murder both Paul and Faith. It was surprising that the most interesting character in the film was the mild-mannered Faith. Her quiet intensity and her deep devotion to Paul resonated throughout the film.

"If Looks Could Kill" is worth seeing for the character of Faith, who is an unsung superstar, merely doing her job and the right thing.

This was a very good low budget movie

[nyobatusa · 9/10 · 5 March 2022]

I enjoyed watching this movie, it was well made including good acting. Overall, good character study and motive of bipolar deeply disturbed but on surface very likeable woman with deep-seated need to be in a spotlight. That well shown towards the end that even if money was the main purpose of deception the underlying narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) was the trigger for her seductive powers that several men fell for. Thanks to the friendship of the female police officer and the last victim, also her persistence and dedication paid off to save her friend and more naive men in the future. Hollywood is probably full of disturbed actors with NPD.

Out of the comfort zone and on to Lifetime!

[meredithjillbrown · 8/10 · 6 March 2017]

Basically, I love all things Bressack. And Lifetime. Combining the two made me squeal with glee! Based on a true story, Jessica is an ambitious, and narcissistic blonde diva who wants to be a megastar. She meets handsome policeman, Paul who caters to her every whim and puts her on the pedestal she created. Fellow cop, Faith (no surprise here...she maintains a huge crush on Paul as they've known each other since childhood) is immediately suspicious of Jessica and begins her own investigation. Similar to "To Die For" (also a true story about Pamela Smart), Jessica seduces a younger man to, well...help her out with her 'abusive' husband. Following the Lifetime rules of provocative drama with a whimsical note, this is a funny little film that proves love is blind. Deaf and dumb, too. Bressack stepped away from the usual grotesque cinema to craft a great plot of intrigue and seduction. And I was especially delighted to see his cameo as the commercial director, instructing Jessica and her new beau on their big screen debut. Looking forward to more of James work!