Plot: Cameron (Sarah Grey) is an elite level soccer player, but thanks to the dominance of another school, she was never able to claim a championship. But she and her mother Kate (Tanya Clarke) have just moved and of course, her new school is the reigning soccer dynasty in the state. As good as the team is, with Cameron added to the squad, there is no chance a record fifth state title will be denied, as the team is stacked with talent and a deep roster. Seems like an ideal situation for both Cameron and the school’s squad, but there’s a catch, as Coach Rhonda (Christina Cox) has a daughter who plays the same position as Cameron. While Hailey (Hannah Vandenbygaart) isn’t even close to the level of Cameron, Rhonda is determined to make sure she starts and gets plenty of playing time, which frustrates Cameron to no end. But how far will Rhonda go to ensure Hailey keeps her coveted spot on the starting lineup?
Entertainment Value: I do love when Lifetime brings us tales of obsessed, crazed mothers, so Lethal Soccer Mom was one I had to see and it does indeed deliver a soccer mom on the warpath. The narrative is a fun one, with mother/daughter pairs at odds over which young woman will shine on the soccer field, with some nice drama and mind games tossed in the mix. The movie doesn’t go as insane or over the top as some Lifetime movies, but it has a lot of dysfunction and some solid melodrama, especially from Rhonda, who is a fun villain. I also appreciated that while the line is mostly clear on who is to blame for how things play out, you can see a little spark of craziness in the good girls, who certainly don’t shrink from drama. This is a welcome touch, as Lifetime often sticks with broad takes on victims/villains and I’d love to see more borderline characters like these in action. The pace is effective and never slows much, with a consistent flow of drama that keeps things moving ahead, but as I said, things don’t really boil over into all out, high level melodrama. I think fans of Lifetime movies will have fun with this one, it is a solid, brisk saga of an obsessed soccer mom.
I think Lethal Soccer Mom has a solid cast, especially in the four main leads, but Christina Cox is immense fun as the unstable Rhonda. And since she is indeed the twisted soccer mom involved, it only makes sense she would rise to the challenge and Cox makes good use of the character’s dark personality quirks. Her deadly calm and collected presence makes some of the scenes much creepier than they might have been otherwise, as she brings a calculating vibe to Rhonda. Other Lifetime villains might be more colorful or over the top, but she shows a more believable, while still dramatic take on a demented, driven female. She is able to be the demanding coach, smothering mother, and psychotic rival, all rolled in one. Tanya Clarke is also fun here, but she isn’t given enough time to really shine. I do like how confrontational she is however, as the good mom roles are usually so much more vanilla than this. The cast also includes Jon McLaren, Hannah Vandenbygaart, Sierra Woolridge, and Sarah Grey.
Marc Fusion 