Hayley's Turn
Ever since she got divorced and became a single mum, Hayley (Emily Rose - Daughter for Sale) has been busting her gut working her full time job and then working as a driver in the evenings because her ex husband's lawyer managed to convince the judge to make Hayley pay alimony to him. It is how she comes to meet Kevin (Brandon Ray Olive - Wrapped Up In Christmas) and Melanie (Melanie Stone - Christmas for a Dollar) as she drives them to a bar and ends up having a drink with them as they each bemoan about problem people in their lives. It is whilst drinking that Melanie suggests they take care of each other's problems, some thing which Hayley thinks is just a joke. That is until her ex is killed and she not only becomes the main suspect in Detective Marcs' (Brian Krause - A Woman Deceived) investigations but finds herself being blackmailed in to doing her side of the killing pact.
Those who know their Hitchcock movies will probably know what I am going to say, "The Killing Pact" is at heart a variation on his "Strangers on a Train" with three people involved in a killing pact rather than just the original two. Unfortunately the increase in numbers doesn't do anything to make this feel any different to all the other movies which are influenced by this particular Hitchcock thriller, and there are a few. As such whilst we have a set up which sees Melanie deal with Kevin's problem and then Kevin kill Hayley's ex it of course comes down to Hayley being blackmailed by Melanie to kill her problem despite having never agreed to do the deed. Again what this means is that "The Killing Pact" is going to be one of those movies which is going to work best for those who have not seen "Strangers on a Train" or any of those other movies influenced by it.
The thing is that whilst there are various flaws in "The Killing Pact" it is still nicely put together with each of the main stars playing their parts with confidence. I have said it many a time but in these Lifetime movies the acting can make or break a movie and as such whilst Hayley does things which don't make logical sense the fact that Emily Rose plays the role with confidence and controlled emotion makes it easier to ignore these issues. It is the same when it comes to Melanie Stone as Melanie as she brings the psychotic part of her character to life nicely, making her demanding but in a way you know it has come from being at the end of her tether due to her cruel aunt who is also her boss.
What this all boils down to is that "The Killing Pact" is on one hand just another take on "Strangers on a Train" and as such doesn't hold many surprises for movie fans, even fans of TV movies as there are other similar movies. But to give credit where it is due, the actors play their parts with enough confidence that this doesn't feel overly amateurish or rushed.
