User Reviews

The Killing Secret is a decent murder mystery surrounding the death of a pregnant teen named Emily DeCapprio from the lower class side of town. Cheerleader Nicole Voss becomes suspicious of her boyfriend, who is later discovered to have been the father of the murder victim's unborn child. Meanwhile, the victim's mother befriends Nicole and shares suspicion against Nicole's boyfriend.

This movie was a bit slow at some points, but it ended on a good note. The plot was dangerously similar to that of "No One Would Tell," a 1996 film about a boy who murders his girlfriend. This is not the only similarity, but he disposes of her body in a lake, as was Emily DeCapprio. Furthermore, both films also ended in a courtroom where the killer was given a life sentence.

Ari Meyers and Tess Harper express wonderful acting abilities in this movie.

Not any earth-shattering story here, but based on a composite on truth.

Ari Meyers portrays Nicole Voss, a young girl who is dating the local high school football star, in three years that will soon cease to matter. Apparently the disappearance of Emily DiCapprio occurred in the town of Raleigh, North Carolina, there are some nice local settings.

The perpetrator, Nicole's football star boyfriend, buries Emily's body after he kills her (she made the mistake of getting pregnant, and being poor). He buries the body and keeps it a secret, no one will believe he is capable of such a thing, but Nicole eventually pieces the evidence together.

Its difficult to feel for the victim, as she is eliminated early in the film. The neighborhood prejudices and crimes are worth delving into, but like so many films of this Lifetime genre, the real discriminations are only touched upon, very briefly. 6/10.

A wealthy graduating senior impregnates a poor girl and as she wants to have the baby and he wants her to terminate the pregnancy, her refusal to do so leads to her termination by him.

His regular girlfriend befriends the victim's mother in this rather taut production.

Tess Harper plays the grief stricken mother. We really see societal differences here as the guy's wealthy father walks around as if he owns all. There is disdain for those less fortunate. Furthermore, when a town drifter is arrested for the murder, our young man is ready to see him pay dearly for the crime. Of course, the real girlfriend uncovers incriminating evidence so you know what our guy has planned for her.

On a much lighter side, the graduates party from right before graduation to a post-graduation gala on the 4th of July.

***SPOILERS**** True and shocking story of the circumstances involving the murder of 18 year old Emily DeCappiro, Soleil Moon Frye, a girl from the poor side of town, Raleigh NC, by her on and off again boyfriend the over pampered and never having to worry about where his next meal would come from rich boy Greg Dunleavy, Mark Kassenbaum. It's when Greg found out that Emily was pregnant with him being the father that he tried to talk her into having an abortion with him paying all the expenses. The full of himself Greg, in fear of his future, didn't quite realize that Emily wanted the baby with him, by giving the child a name,marrying her.

It was in fact Greg's other girlfriend high school cheerleader Niciole Voss, Ari Meyers, whom he was madly in love with who started suspecting him in being responsible for Emily's disappearances, her body wasn't found yet, in his very crazy actions in telling her that he and Emily never knew each other. It was Emily's mom waitress Tina DeCapprio,Tess Harper, who smelled something rotten, and it wasn't the food she was serving, in Greg's alibi. She in fact saw both her daughter and Greg together a number of times and knew that were there's smoke there's fire. In that Greg got Emily in trouble, by knocking her up, and tried to get out of his predicament by knocking her off instead! It's later when Emily's body was found by the nearby lake stuffed in a garbage bag that the local police got on the case and, through an official autopsy, found out that she was indeed pregnant! It was just too bad that at the time, 1993, they didn't have the expertise in DNA evidence to determine that Greg was the baby's father! It fact it was non other then Nicole who figured out that Greg murdered, after he made her pregnant, Emily in a button she found in his home away from home where he took girls' out to have fun with, a deserted warehouse, that was an exact match of Emily's blouse that was found with a button missing on it!

***SPOILERS*** Greg now knowing that his perfect world is completely coming apart goes "Mashugga", crazy in Yiddish, in trying to keep the truth in what he did to Emily from becoming public. With his future now facing a cold jail cell instead of a Harvard Princton or Yale collage campus. In That his now girlfriend and true love Nichole is about to drop a dime, call the cops, on him Greg locks her up in his place of pleasure, the deserted warehouse, where he's about to do her in. It's then that Greg finally comes to his senses and drops his crazy & insane act knowing that by murdering Nichole he'll only make things even worse for himself then they already are. For that act of mercy on Greg's part as well as throwing himself at the mercy of the court, as well as his victim's family members ,in the end Greg got only life behind bars instead a short stay,until he's executed, on the North Carolina State Prison's Death Row!

The ultimate source for "The Killing Secret" is Theodore Dreiser's novel of 1925 called "An American Tragedy." Dreiser's story is virtually epic in scope as it chronicles the domestic problems of young Clyde Griffiths, who murders a young woman whom he impregnated before he fell for a woman of the higher social pecking order in the Eastern establishment.

"The Killing Secret" focuses on young Greg, who has carried on a secret liaison with Emily DiCaprio, who lives on the poor side of town. Emily gets pregnant and when she threatens to expose him, Greg kills her, preferring his high school sweetheart Nicole, who lives in a more well-to-do part of the Tarrington community.

The narrative is rather predictable with the standard elements of a potboiler. The cops in this movie reach a new level of incompetence even for a Lifetime film. But what sets this film apart is the excellent cast. Tess Harper is outstanding as the traumatized mother of Emily, a single mom who struggles as waitress. The chap who plays Greg is also very convincing as the Clyde Griffiths character. But the finest performance is that of the young actress playing Nicole. The strength of character of Nicole was admirable, and her bonding with the waitress mother was extremely moving. It was interesting the Mrs. DiCaprio seemed to Nicole like the kind of mother she always craved.

Truly, nothing can compare to reading Dreiser's unforgettable "An American Tragedy" for the psychological insights into this kind of case study. The film "A Place in the Sun" made a good stab at adapting Dreiser's story. But the ensemble of "The Killing Secret" is also highly commendable and worthy of praise.

How long could Emily scream, if at all, if she was being strangled? She screamed for an eternity! And, When Nicole and Greg were at the warehouse, Nicole found the torn button that was from Emily's clothing. Greg wanted it and he sure gave up fast not getting it! No way would he have left there without having that button. Also, Emily would have known about Nicole. I'm sure she would go to his football games and after the game would see them together. Also, at Greg's birthday party, emily was in her car directly in front of his house. Would Greg really go to the car when everyone could see him, including Nicole? I think not!

I definitely recommend watching this movie especially if your a fan of the mystery/thriller genre.

The plot is solid throughout and starts with showing us the popular it couple of cheerleader Nicole Voss (Ari Meyers) and Captain of the football team Greg Dunleavy (Mark Kassen) however, what Nicole doesn't realise is that for months he's been seeing Emily DeCapprio (Soleil Moon Frye) as well. It all comes to a head when Emily tells Greg she's pregnant and after his attempts to persuade Emily to get rid of the baby fail he's left with only one option and that's murder.

The acting throughout the movie from all actors is great. In particular the scenes between the neglected daughter Nicole and Emily's distraught mother Tina played by the fantastic Tess Harper are excellent as, they form a unique friendship both looking for something their missing which they find in each others company.

The film also touches on issues such as class divide and small town influence. I also, like that the writers drop subtle tells that Greg is unravelling as the pressure grows and that they actually tried to humanise the killer in this movie which, is most notable in the final scene which Greg, Nicole and Tina share at the warehouse.

Give this movie a watch you won't be disappointed.

When Nicole sees the button on TV and goes home to compare it to the one she found... I guess that's passable. I suppose there could likely be multiple flower Buttons worn in the community.

The odd thing I found is she got all revelational about it happening in that abandoned building. It seems that would be logic. Then for the body to be dumped in the water. Just seems her conclusions should have been earlier.