The film then takes a four-month leap where Katie is now working as a caretaker, companion and friend to a wealthy, kindly but lonely old man Leonard Wellesley (Elliot Gould) who lives in his two-storey wood-panelled mansion. The two come close as Leonard feels Katie is an important part of his life. Meanwhile, Adam stops going to college to find a job in order to pay debts. In an argument with Adam over money, Katie reveals all to Leonard who offers her money but she refuses it and instead asks him to give Adam some gardening work, which he does.
One day, a real estate agent Mickey Hayden (Cam Gigandet) comes by the house to buy it but Katie sends him away saying the house is not for sale. Little does she know that Hayden starts observing them and the events inside the house. To further help Katie, Leonard offers her a $7000 cheque which she refuses but Adam overrules her scruples.
Leonard dies the next day sitting peacefully in his attic armchair and leaves Katie shaken. She and Adam start to clear out Leonard’s stuff only to find a large stash of hidden cash in the attic. Worn out by job interviews, Adam sees the money as a way to make their bills disappear but he also has that greedy glint in his eye that makes him suspicious. What would you do in such a situation? They both ask the same question to each other considering the handsome $100,000. They finally decide to keep it in the safety deposit box.
At Leonard’s funeral, his attorney Julia Byron-Kim (Jamie Chung) shows up out of the blue disclosing his will and declares Katie his sole beneficiary. Despite knowing her for only four months, he leaves everything to Katie. This might be possible considering the kind of relationship they had. But the document and increasing number of coincidences don’t go well with Detective Chesler (Sasha Alexander) who begins snooping around. Hence, their lives seemingly transform overnight.
While Hayden keeps circling the house, Katie’s boss from the home-care agency George Calvern (Michael P. Northey) also senses something’s wrong. Detective Chesler further asks questions that lead back to the night of the diner robbery. While the couple did move into the house, they have no idea what secrets are inside. Once a corpse and a bag full of diamonds turn up buried in Leonard’s garden, it is quite predictable what screenwriter David Golden has in store for us.
Camila Mendes as Katie is kind and sensible, lively yet innocent. She portrays the old-fashioned heroine in a male-created female-focused tale while Jessie T. Usher as Adam depicts a foolish character who journeys from being a local hero to the person disposing of dead bodies just to hang on to the mansion. Elliott Gould as Leonard is perfect as the old man and Jamie Chung as the lawyer plays her part with much concern. There is Sasha Alexander as Detective Chesler who serves as a competent officer and Cam Gigandet as Mickey who wanders aimlessly.
Bolstered by good performances and a solid premise, ‘Dangerous Lies’ entertains but ultimately lacks the extra coating needed to work as a truly memorable thriller. There are many unanswered questions like what the shooting scene in the restaurant was about? After inheriting everything, why don’t Katie and Adam sell the house and move in instead? Is this even possible that nobody seems to smell a dead body that has been decomposing above the garage for two years? How come detective Chesler drops everything to investigate the couple? Why it never prompts her to question the attorney who drew up the will?
‘Dangerous Lies’ has a clever premise with some interesting ideas. It is the kind of film you expect to find on TV — simple, basic but enjoyable. It’s a pity that the lies don’t even start feeling dangerous until around 50 minutes in.
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