Beware of the smooth-tongued liar, even if she’s an attractive young woman
A mother & daughter in SoCal welcome a foreign exchange student from England into their family to help fill the grievous hole after a tragedy. Unfortunately, this is an exchange student from hell!
"Deadly Exchange" (2017) is a made-for-TV drama produced by the same company that released "The Wrong Daughter" with Sydney Sweeney the next year. In fact, they have an identical plot, just with a few alterations. Both understandably lack the artistry of Drew Barrymore's "Poison Ivy," yet they work well enough for a family-oriented drama with coming-of-age elements and crime thrill bits. They’re just prosaic by comparison and hindered by a cookie-cutter vibe.
Nevertheless, I like how they reveal the destructive power of a lie by smooth-talking people, IF it's believed. The only ones such BS-ers can deceive are those who lack discernment and don’t know their character yet; it’s wise to remain skeptical until concrete proof is obtained.
Both flicks are successful in making you root against the manipulations of the liar with the middle portion causing tedium and frustration. Yet the last act delivers the goods for TV fare. Which is the better choice of the two? The Sydney Sweeney rendition, but not by much.
Redhead Valentina Novakovic (Chloe) and brunette Victoria Konefal (Blake) stand out in the female department. There’s also a teen blonde in the periphery that’s worth a mention (uncredited).
It runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles area, including Inglewood, Santa Clarita and Newhall.
GRADE: B-/C+
