'Their Killer Affair' Review: Lifetime film on chasing a serial killer is worn out and predictable from get-go
Lifetime's lineup of thriller films often leave you entertained. However, the same cannot be said about the network's latest release. The film titled 'Their Killer Affair' is up for release today (June 13) and thriller film fans who had this on their watch list might just want to give it a miss.
The plot revolves around a detective named Maxine Peyton (Melissa Archer), who is vigorously investigating a series of murders around the city along with her "work husband" Detective Nick Curtis (Brandon Beemer). A couple of days into the investigation, they find that the murders involve a serial killer. The killer is going after users of a dating website called 'Adeline Lilly' that basically caters to married people who want to find someone to have a fling with. Basically Tinder but for married people looking to cheat on their partners. But doesn't Tinder already have.... okay, let's not digress here. Coming back to the story, the murders have a certain pattern. Rich men with sexual fetishes are targetted by the killer.
Peyton is shown to be a workaholic, almost living on the job kind of a person. The fact that she has a caring boyfriend is unbelievable. Simon, the boyfriend is a professor at school and madly in love with Peyton, and he forgives her almost every day for ignoring his existence and shutting him off when the guy just wants to put a ring on her finger. She also has a best friend, Jennifer Highfield (Alyshia Ochse), who is trying to get it on with Simon as her husband Greg, a lawyer, has always been distant towards her. Jennifer wants to find a cure for her as well as Simon's loneliness. Also, Peyton's ex-husband of 15 years, Ryan, is a douche. He makes it a point to annoy Peyton at work and in his free time he is seen going after the well-meaning simpleton boyfriend, asking his wife back.
But if you think this is the end of Peyton's woes, think again. There's is a twist. The cases is further complicated by an internet 'hacktivist' group called 'Incognito', who leak crucial information about Adeline Lilly users, including identities. Wearing a SAW mask, a member of Incognito keeps releasing video messages about the killings, and later in the film it's revealed that it might have something to do with Peyton as someone close to him who also happened to be on the app ends up dead. Now we would tell you who the killer is but what's the fun in that? But what we can tell you is that the killer's hatred towards cheating married men stemmed from childhood trauma.
The film is 87 minutes long and moves pretty fast in some places but some scenes just drag for way too long. Also, the plot seems to have very cliched parts like a friend going after another friend's spouse/boyfriend or the film's theme itself — online dating gone wrong. The saving grace is Beemer who plays Peyton's partner in the film. He's funny, charming, and quite a looker. Archer, who plays Peyton in the film, is extremely bland. On the other hand, Ochse's portrayal of her deranged boyfriend-stealing best friend Jennifer was very convincing.
'Their Killer Affair' will air on Lifetime at 8/7c on June 13, 2020. Watch the preview here.