Hey folks, Valkor here. This next film review isn't the sort of flick I would normally sit through; it's totally a Lifetime Movie Network piece, but it does have some edge to it that piqued my interest. So I figure let's have some fun with it. Check it out its "The Boy She Met Online". Spoilers ahead, but in this case it won't matter much.
Huurr Duuurrr!!!
Just as the title dictates, The Boy She Met Online centers on Cami (Traci Spiridakos), a 17 year old, top of her class, super bubbly high school teen about to graduate and head west to New York City to become… something… I don't care. She meets up with a guy named Jake through an online website. Cami thinks Jake (Jon Cor) is a college student and 23 years old. Well the age thing is true, but him being a college student? Not in the least. Jakey boy is actually in jail, but about to be released. Now Jake doesn't have much going for him at this point – his mom disowned him and his sister wanted nothing to do with him. All he has left is his buddy Edgar (Tim Finnigan), who's also a felon and all about making bank along with his buddy Dewayne (Eddie Guillaume), who's also a just-released convict.
To make matters worse, Cami hasn't told her mother a thing about Jake yet mom kinda suspects something isn't right. Even mom's friend Kendra has some suspicions but believes that Cami should do what she wants and eventually the truth will come out.
Cami eventually learns the truth about Jake's past and even though she knows he's an ex-con, she stays with him (even has sex with the guy) because she believes in him and their love for each other. Well their situation goes from bad to worse when Jake finds it difficult to get a job; so he turns to his dealing buddy Edgar. Edgar sets him up to make a drop with this guy Vinnie, who later turns on him, kills Dewayne and robs Edgar. Both Edgar and Jake seek revenge, but Cami doesn't want Jake to get involved. However Jake wants payback and goes along with Edgar to seek out Vinnie… with Cami in tow. They find Vinnie and Edgar wound up shooting him dead. And who should happen to see the whole thing? Cami.
So Cami and Jake make a break for it, hiding in his stepdad's cabin away from Edgar, who's now looking for them because he wants Cami dead for being a witness to his crime. On top of it all, mom is also looking for Cami and through Jake's sister, she gets a bead on the two. The film ends with a final confrontation between Jake, Cami, Mom, and Edgar. Mom gets shot (and lives), Edgar dies, Jake gets sent back to prison, and Cami sets sail for NYC.
Now normally I don't detail this much of a film in my review, but this type of film sorta warrants it. Why? It just does! And with that let's hit up the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
Is there really anything good I can say about this film? Well, I thought Jon Cor was badass; I honestly wasn't expecting a guy like him to be the guy on the other side of the computer (I was expecting some super fat no life slob of a man, because that's just how it is and we all know this right?), but Cor brings a level of cool and edgy to the film that I didn't expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed. I wanna give props also to Tim Finnigan who plays Edgar for owning his part. Dude looked like he was having fun and it pays off big here. Kudos to you sir. Other than that, watching this film wasn't as painful as I thought it would be…
The Bad:
…but it still hurt. The story isn't anything to write home about; kinda simple and straight forward, no real intense moments save for when Edgar starts hunting down Cami and Jake. But even then you don't really feel it until he actually begins. Overall, it's rather plain. Next is Traci, who to me plays the role of Cami bubblier than it has to be. I know she's supposed to be this bright-eyed, cheery, innocent kid but the happy could've been toned down a notch or two. Finally, I didn't care for the fact that Jake wound up back in jail. I mean technically he didn't do anything (well he did accidentally shoot Edgar, but that was during a struggle). I just wanted to see him hitchhiking down a highway with super sad piano music playing in the background… wait, what?
The Ugly:
The fact that I actually sat through a Lifetime film... Don't worry, the next film has ninjas! I promise!
So I'm guilty of watching a Lifetime film, sue me. I was bored, I thought it would have noodz, I… ah screw it, it was next on my pile of vids to watch and so I watched it. Since what was seen cannot be unseen, I may as well go forward and state that "The Boy She Met Online"… not bad. If there was nothing else on and I saw this popped up on my menu screen, I'd watch it. And out of TOV 5 stars, I give the film a 3. Valkor Viewed and Approved? Yes indeedy!