Born Bad (2011) – Review

Where to watch Born Bad

3 Stars

Michael Welch (Twilight) stars in The Asylum’s Born Bad as Denny, who makes a great first impression with the parents, but after you get to know him, he just might murder you. Brooke Duncan just moved into town, and as with any young rebellious high school senior who hates her new stepmom she’s stepped out to party with an old friend even though she’s still (serious frowny face) “technically grounded”. There she meets Denny, a great guy who even wins over the hearts of her father and stepmother. If only she had seen the opening scene where Denny rapes and murders an innocent young girl, of course she hasn’t (and obviously skipped over that part in the script as well) and brings her crazy boyfriend into her home to terrorize her family. This is a cautionary tale of an incredibly impressionable teenage mind and the young man who was insane enough to impress his will on it.

In all honesty the movie’s quite entertaining. Michael Welch gives a powerful performance as the raping, pilfering, murdering drifter Denny. Every time he goes over the edge with rage it’s scary, because he really looks crazy angry. Several moments I thought Welch would burst a vein or have a stroke. Bonnie Dennison as the wide eyed naive Brooke also pulls off a great performance. A lot of reviewers on the net are saying the romance between Denny and Brooke didn’t ring true. Nay nay, they’re wrong. Dennison plays the character’s naivety to a point that anyone that pushes can get in, which is exactly what Denny does. She wants to open up to someone and get away from her family, this is exactly how this happens in real life, and it does happen (maybe not to you, which if you’re the parent of a teenage girl that finds this romance “stupid” you should be jumping with joy). I will agree that she gave up her “purity” far too easily though.

Rounding out the cast is Meredith Monroe (Dawson’s Creek, Criminal Minds) as Katherine Duncan, who will take lip from her stepdaughter, but ain’t takin’ no crap from her no good boyfriend. David Chokachi (Baywatch) as Walter Duncan is a believable loving father, who is easily swayed by the thought of his daughter ending up with a nice guy. Parker Coppins as Brooke’s brother Kyle does a fine job with the small part he’s given. Let this be a lesson to young brothers with older sisters – get yourself shipped off to boarding school and you won’t have to put up with her boyfriend when he decides to rob and murder your family. Also I have to say big props to Donnabella Mortel who took dirt to the face when her body was being buried, making her dead body even more realistically dead (if that makes sense). Most films shy away from this opting to cover the body first then cut away. I guess you have to be prepared to take things to the face if you work for The Asylum.

The uncut DVD is not the same movie that played on Lifetime. To put it simply there’s nudity just after the first minute rolls over (so it’s better already), and many other sexually charged violent situations. Writer and director Jared Cohn has accompanied the excellent crisp dialogue and on point performances with smooth camera movements and framing that is often unseen on low-budget film.

If you like suspenseful but not scary made for TV movies, Born Bad is right up your alley.

Director: Jared Cohn
Stars: Meredith Monroe, Michael Welch, Bonnie Dennison, David Chokachi