When you settle in for a Lifetime movie, you're usually getting one of two things: a juicy, ripped-from-the-headlines retelling or a soapy high stakes drama. And each time the network rolls out a new project, viewers are eager to know which one it is. So, is Girlfriend Killer based on a true story, or is it purely fiction?
There doesn't seem to be a definitive answer, but it likely falls into the latter camp. Lifetime usually advertises its true-to-life stories heavily, and no such marketing has been tied to Girlfriend Killer. In fact, the film's promotion is uncharacteristically low profile — there's not even a trailer floating around online. All that's offered is a description via the network's website, which touts the film as a thriller about a business woman who creates the perfect marriage proposals for wealthy men. When she shows a client compassion after his girlfriend publicly rejects him, she becomes the target of his manic obsession. What that dangerous infatuation will entail is as of yet unclear, but knowing Lifetime, it will include some heart-pounding suspense, several chilling encounters, and plenty of guilty pleasure melodrama.
But while Girlfriend Killer isn't based on anything real — and let's be honest, that's actually quite reassuring — it does seem to be a companion piece to another Lifetime flick: Boyfriend Killer. That movie, which premiered in January, followed grieving mother Sandra Cruz. When she goes to collect her recently deceased son's belongings from his apartment, she meets who she thinks is his ex-girlfriend, but grows suspicious of the woman as holes emerge in her story, and begins to think she had something to do with his death.
Both films were written by Christine Conradt and directed by Alyn Darnay, and they even share one of the same stars: Barbie Castro. The actor plays a different character in each, so the projects don't operate within the same universe, but with much of the same team involved, viewers can expect a similar tone and pace, just with a different narrative and perspective.
And if a double feature isn't enough to satisfy your Lifetime craving, Conradt has a whole trove of credits that delve into murder, revenge, and mystery — 59 to be exact, according to IMDb.
So, Girlfriend Killer may not have been inspired by a true story, but it will set you up with a pretty extensive list of movies to marathon if it happens to be your shtick. Give it a shot when Girlfriend Killer airs Saturday, June 17 at 8 p.m. ET.
