Heatwave (I) (2022) User Reviews

I liked the acting despite the flawed plot

[CreaTik · 5/10 · 23 January 2022]

The actors did a good job given the fact that this is a mediocre movie.

I found so many flaws in the story which was the worst part.

Is it predictable? Yes, but the director tried hard to make it different by adding unknown events from the past of two characters which added additional flaws in my opinion.

In general, watchable.

couldnt make it to the end

[morandoron-43667 · 5/10 · 4 April 2022]

I thought it will be some kind of a thriller but it is not, putting a melodramtic and tension music along the secenes doesnt make it a thriller.

Acting not so good and script is below average i think.

Maby il give it another chance if i really had nothing to see.

VIEWS ON FILM review of Heatwave

[burlesonjesse5 · 6/10 · 28 June 2022]

"You're acting paranoid". Oh yeah. You would be too if the cops were after you. Oh and how about a triple-digit temperature to go along with the fuzz.

Anyway 2022's Heatwave initially feels like a Lifetime endeavor until you realize it's not (Paramount Pictures, ding ding). The film has better production values than anything on the Lifetime Network and for once it was shot in a city and not some residential outlet.

So is Heatwave a suspense drama that pulls the strings and keeps you enthralled? For most of the way yes. Does the flick run out of wiggle room trying to wrap things up? Unfortunately yeah. That is Heatwave's veritable, Achilles heel.

Heatwave as a vehicle of lofty business panache, has a great look. I mean it's almost on par with the big studio stuff. It's a little 1994's Disclosure here and a little Basic Instinct there. Mainly it verges on neo-noir, glossy and slick and filmed in what looks like Vancouver, British Columbia (I could be wrong but just an observation).

Almost nil on violence and dense on mystery, Heatwave's story involves a businesswoman who while trying to climb up the corporate ladder, has an affair with her superior's wife. When said superior gets murdered, said businesswoman is the prime suspect. Oh and it's freaking hot outside (hence the film's title).

Heatwave stars Kat Graham, Merritt Patterson, Cardi Wong, and Sebastian Roche. Have you actually heard of these guys? No? Well me neither but they give decent performances. It's just too bad Heatwave's director (Ernie Barbarash) piles on so many twists and flashbacks that it feels like he's doing it just for the one up. I mean Barbarash knows where to put the camera and can summon steamy atmosphere but hey, even the makers of Clue have their limits. In the end Heatwave bodes promise but turns up kind of "lukewarm". Natch.

A smorgasbord of cheese.

[martin-260-817550 · 1/10 · 21 September 2022]

So bad it might be good? It has so many pinch points of terrible dialogue delivered so earnestly that it in itself was entertaining. The plot is mind blowing. And the delivery of the plot in the last five minutes will have you out if your seat, potentially to leave and not actually watch the ending, but I felt I owed it to the people who worked on this to make it to the credits. I can't decide which cringey character I like the most but I think the one that deserves the gold medal is the refreshingly stereotypical tired run down cop, 60 years on the beat cracking cases but with this one case that haunts him burning his soul in such a moody dark fog that he tries to deny with jovial happy questions and form a bond with potentially serious criminals he has just met. Also for his propensity to call his other stereotype partner who he just often calls partner and shouts at in a lethal weapon fashion but with lines more akin to a hallmark movie. Try watch it as an exercise in patience and you may enjoy the cheese of different flavours, they do their best in this film but the dialogue is just hilarious.

TV movie with bad plot

[DranMovie · 1/10 · 6 January 2023]

Besides the disappointing plot with holes and rushed scenes filled with skipped cutscenes to get straight to the point this movie gives you nothing to enjoy.

The characters are following netflix type of enforced race dominance. Strong female black characters, evil white people, confused white old rich person.

White girl is evil and manipulative. Black girl is innocent and naive.

Movie starts out very boring and nothing happens in first hour. Then we get rushed action and it explains the plot retrospective as if we the audience are at fault for not noticing.

Ending disappointing, cheesy cliche and predictive. Good guys win, bad guys lose followed by the worst cheesy ending line given ever.

Besides the horrible monotone acting from almost all actors, camera angles levels of a TV movie and repetitive scenes enforcing a non existent plot this could have been a TV movie you get for free or bonus on HBO. Not a full fledged movie. Even Netflix makes better movies than this.

I am not even gonna mention how cringy and unprofessional it was to completely cut the romantic scenes and then replay the same scenes after a short chat scene and repeating the cutting out part again.

Either you do a full fledged romance scene or dont bother. This is literally High School level of Directing of B rank unknown Directors.

Heatwave

[allmoviesfan · 7/10 · 27 November 2022]

If you'll pardon the obvious pun here, the chemistry between the two leads sizzles. Merritt Patterson, a Hallmark / GAC Family regular steps well away from those G-rated made-for-television movies in this role, where she is definitely at her most beautiful and beguiling. As is Kat Graham, who I haven't seen in anything before.

Graham plays Claire, who embarks on an affair with a mysterious woman (Patterson) called Eve who appears out of the blue at her apartment building, only to find out that she is the much-younger wife of her boss, played by Sebastian Roche.

There are lots of scenes between Claire and Eve that are very easy on the eye, if you get my drift. Oh, and there is a lot going on under the surface, and suddenly she is in a fight for her life.

The plot twists towards the back end of the film are a little unbelievable, but there is enough tension to keep things interesting, even if it's fair to say that this sort of movie has been done plenty of times before, and probably better all around.

But not with Merritt Patterson, and there is enough of her to keep me interested. This is a huge step away from her 'girl next door' persona in the Hallmark/GAC Family world. Can't wait to see what she does next.

Poorly done

[gachayo · 2/10 · 1 January 2024]

I thought I'd enjoy but not. Good story but the acting more like child's play. Could have been done better. The actors had it in them to bring their best but the flow is poor. Continuity could have been well done. The direction could be better. Kat Graham seems like a great actress. I feel she was wasted here. But she did great. I liked her acting.

I thought I'd enjoy but not. Good story but the acting more like child's play. Could have been done better. The actors had it in them to bring their best but the flow is poor. Continuity could have been well done. The direction could be better. Kat Graham seems like a great actress. I feel she was wasted here. But she did great. I liked her acting.

Back in the olden days of the 1900's . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 7/10 · 28 February 2022]

. . . when viewers watched a Dark Film (to translate the unpronounceable French term), the lead lover pair almost always consisted of a dude and a wench. If, as was often the case, a romantic triangle was involved, two of the points were sure to be guys. However, in this our Modern 21st Century, a Dark Flick such as HEATWAVE is more likely than not to center on a tripod made up of two gals and a gob. So how soon will Eddie M. Be screening this effort on his Sunday morning old movies channel slot? Probably not before he attains Ms. B. White's age.

Thriller with just the right amount of sizzle

[jagabe7 · 9/10 · 23 December 2022]

Heatwave is an underrated thriller that kept me interested till the actual end. There was just the right amount of mystery and suspense to keep you guessing on where the story was heading. The love angle with the two lead actresses was done perfectly. I gotta admit that I love movies that mix in just the right amount of sizzle to go along with a good amount of suspense.

Merritt Patterson is absolutely gorgeous and the best part of the movie for me. She's the perfect blend of sexy along with a good amount of hot girl next door.

Hey we're not talking an Oscar worthy movie here. But .... It was entertaining, the acting was pretty good, and a movie that I enjoyed.

Kat Graham is still sexy

[armandocervantes-98926 · 7/10 · 11 October 2023]

Though we see an ensemble of a talent, the storyline not only falls shorts but resorts to NBC styled cliche of twisted affair in consequence that clashes with the main characters troubled and disturbing past. One thing for certain is Kat Graham's natural hair is element to reminding audiences that her sexiness has always been something she was born with.

We meet Claire a thriving woman who's past behavior cokes into question though she can fool audiences with innocence or scorned she meets her match in the form of being the mistress of a high profiled entrepreneur not only is she wife of her CEO but she entangles herself in their lives not to social climb but to hide her true personality of a rather troubled woman. It reunites her with a Vampire Diaries costar and uses allegory of the excessive heat all while falling in and out of art house featured films, not too worthy of its praise but well enough that the central cast deserves their recognition.

Great thriller movie

[maradavis-09991 · 9/10 · 18 July 2022]

This movie will keep you on your toes and the love story is amazing. Watch this when you wanna feel something. I loved watching it because of the love story but then you can't figure out who is the bad guy until the end. Recommend this for people who like thrillers and romance combined into one.

Kat Graham is always worth a watch

[chrissydang · 8/10 · 11 May 2023]

Quite cliche and the plot is very transparent to the point you can predict what's about to happen next yet I'm here for kat Graham she makes it worth watching Is it "gone girl" level? No... but it's close enough.

We get quite a lot of character arc from almost all the cast which adds to the plot the movie title doesn't really reflect the plot too well Yes this all takes place during a heatwave but it is more centred on romantic heat & chemistry. A fatal love affair, murder, secrets and money it's definitely worth more than an overall 5.0 rating

This might have been better as a limited series but I'd recommend it for others to watch

8/10.

KAT GRAHAM!!!!

[kamiyahtrimmings · 10/10 · 25 May 2022]

That's it, that's all. She's amazing, i'll watch anything with her in it and i'll never be disappointed cause she's an ACTRESS. Katerina Graham acts. I enjoyed it very much cause it was a nice change from the usual love interests shes had in the past as well as other roles. I know none of the actors promoted this movie, Kat included, I believe it was meant to be on a different streaming platform but things didn't go to plan which sucks but I'm glad that I got to see the movie at the very least.

Sizzling Neo-Noir Thriller

[lavatch · 8/10 · 5 November 2022]

Claire Valens has always been driven to succeed. At an early age, she lost her parents and sister in a tragic fire, due to a slacker of a slum landlord. She got her comeuppance in torching the building. Having learned to play with fire when she is young, the pattern continues for Claire into adulthood.

"Heatwave" was successful in recycling many of the techniques of film noir: a torrid romance, greedy businessmen, good cop/bad cop, jealousy, deceit, scheming, and revenge. At the center of it all was Claire Valens.

The most sizzling of the character relationships was that of Claire and Genevieve (Eve) Crane, the wife of the business magnate Scott Crane. Claire idolizes Scott, who is her new employer. But Claire was unaware when she started her relationship with Eve that her lover was married to her boss. Slowly, Claire comes to realize that she is being set up.

The filmmakers achieved a dynamic style through interesting locations, set-ups, and camera angles. There was also a strong kinetic pattern to the film with Claire, a skilled kick-boxer, constantly in motion.

The film was well cast with an exceptional performance by the actress playing Claire, a force of nature who refused to be stopped despite all adversity. With slick dialogue and a well-crafted narrative structure, "Heatwave" is bound to engage the mind and raise the temperature of any viewer.