He's Not Worth Dying For

Especially Lifetime movies, which I watch as guilty pleasures along with the happier Hallmark/holiday tv movies. But I cried with this one, and I don't know why, since I despise social media especially influencers and especially fighting people over it. I guess the fact that Grace was a sweet girl coupled with the somber backing music and just the general shame of it all, and this stuff DEFINITELY happens in real life. I disagree with this review and I never do this: "Meh. Typical Lifetime social media cautionary tale by CranberriAppl2 July 2022" who said the funeral scene with the mother crying was "cheesy" ? That's just heartless. It actually is the point where I started shedding a steady stream of tears. Because it's true; why didn't they do anything to stop the fight? There are literal cases of people dying during beatdowns and no one intervened, no men, no "friends" stopped and saved the girl (or boy) from getting hurt. They just recorded it. Literal snuff films being "liked" online. Disgusting and sad. RIP to all the people out there who went out like Grace did in this movie. So sad.

This movie is very relatable because it shows how love and social media can play a role in our daily lives. There are people who are like Grace who are more in tune with the world rather than social media and there are people like Isla who live for fame. It shows real issues like how obsessed people can become when it comes down to social media and love. It shows what people are willing to do and the consequence it holds. We see how social media influences their decisions when people say comments like you have to fight for him or show her how you're better. We see how Grace turns into a person she doesnt recognize and how Isla tries and fights for her views. Both think they are doing it all for the love but is it really love?

From where I sit this was never a murder. Grace attacked Isla on more than one occasion that evening. Grace followed Isla to the party. Grace physically assaulted Isla. Not one person even thought about stepping in and helping. Sad state of our society that everyone has a camera at the ready. Why not charge every person filming with accessory?? Accident caused by kids too stupid to realize they are stupid. Pure case of self defense. But we can't have a white girl kill a black girl these days. She must pay for every indiscretion every white person has ever done or perceived to have done for the past 500 years.

We keep hoping upon hope that the 2022 LMN movies are going to get better. Sadly, thus far we have been wrong. This film had the potential to be good, but the childish writing (and acting) left that possibility at the starting gate. The pace of the movie was excruciatingly slow- the whole thing could've been done and wrapped up in 30 minutes. Two stars on this clunker is overly generous.

I think the climax and the resulting trial in reality would have been a lot more complicated than Lifetime portrayed given that they were fighting each other and both had been escalating the conflict to that point. Grace using her car as a weapon against Isla, throwing the first punch, showing up and aggressively approaching Isla later.... it just wouldn't be so simple in real life which makes this movie hard to take seriously. Something faintly similar happened at a college local to me btwn two roommates (not over a boy, but dueling personalities/inability to get along) and that ended up being self-defense after jury deliberations. Usually the social media movies are a bit cringe and over the top and this isn't an exception. Both girls were annoying as was the guy. The commercials played down how they were equally and actively harassing each other. Teenagers (and adults) often don't consider the consequences of their actions, so the ending didn't surprise me. The overall vibe feels like "a very special" episode of a 90s tv show but not nearly as good or memorable. The mom exploding at Grace's friends at the funeral was a bit much. Not the grief, that was understandable but the dialogue was sort of cheesy.

Really good for a lifetime movie and speaks about the times. It's almost a social commentary on relationships nowadays with the lack of depth and social media taking over the lives of teenagers. People would rather film things than help. People would rather have followers than real friends. Yes it's cheesy at times but it's a teen lifetime movie. It kept my attention and the storyline stayed interesting. The characters are interesting too and had a lot of depth. I think teenagers and young adults should watch this as a cautionary tale. The bullying that can happen online can really hurt people in real life.