Kumari Shreya
Directed by Kevin Fair, ‘He’s Not Worth Dying For’ is a romantic thriller movie about a love triangle that turns deadly. Isla Masters is an established beauty and fashion influencer, while Grace Heinemann is an aspiring veterinarian whom everyone expected to be the valedictorian of her class. They are in what they assume are the perfect relationships, but their notions are shattered when they both realize they are dating the same boy, Jake. Jealous of each other, the two girls use their influence on social media to bring the other down. However, the argument soon escalates into real life and takes a fatal turn.
The Lifetime movie is a mysterious ride that is hard to keep one’s eyes away from, and the actors do a phenomenal job of portraying the characters and keeping the audience hooked throughout. The film’s realistic narrative also plays a huge part in its appeal, along with the authentic settings used to lens the movie. Naturally, the audience is curious to know more about the movie’s origins and production, so here are all the answers you need!
Is He’s Not Worth Dying For a True Story?
Yes, ‘He’s Not Worth Dying For’ is based on a true story. Written by Jacqueline Zambrano, the movie is a part of Lifetime’s ‘Ripped from the Headlines’ series, which includes several movies inspired by true events. Similarly, ‘He’s Not Worth Dying’ is a retelling of real-life cases of a person having two partners simultaneously, eventually causing a bitter social media feud and ending in murder. For instance, the movie bears an uncanny resemblance to the Rachel Wade and Sarah Ludemann case from Pinellas Park, Florida. Both girls were attracted to Joshua Camacho and had been competing for his heart for months.
Rachel quit school at the age of 16 and completed her GED, working alongside at an Applebee’s to pay for her apartment. Before Joshua, Sarah had no dating experience and was a straight-A student preparing to be a veterinarian. Moreover, another girl, Erin Slothower, was involved with him and had gotten pregnant with his child. When Rachel and Sarah learned that Joshua was dating them both at the same time, both of them became furious. As per reports, they constantly harassed each other over texts, voicemails, and posts on Facebook and MySpace.
The online fight soon bled through to the real world, and both girls started fighting with each other in real life. Their behavior baffled those close to them as their arguments escalated. On April 14, 2009, things turned fatal when Rachel suspected Joshua was spending time with Sarah. When her suspicions were confirmed, she became enraged and went over to where the two were staying. She then texted Joshua that she knew that he was not talking to her because he had Sarah.
Joshua confirmed Rachel’s statement and told her he didn’t like her anymore, so she should go home. However, she reportedly chose to stay and wait until Sarah went back home. Witnesses further reported that Rachel called her and threatened to stab her and Joshua on speakerphone. Later, when Sarah learned that Rachel was staying at a friend’s house, she decided to confront her in person about the whole thing. Although, when she did reach her destination, things quickly turned south, and according to Rachel, she had come out of her car and was moving towards her angrily.
Surprisingly, other witnesses stated that Sarah barely had a chance to move out of her vehicle and that Rachel stabbed her multiple times, including a bow through the heart. The wounded girl was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries. Despite Rachel’s claims that she had acted in self-defense, the jury did not believe her, and she was sentenced to 27 years in prison for second-degree murder.
The tragic tale likely became one of the inspirations for Lifetime’s ‘He’s Not Worth Dying For.’ The movie has a lot of similarities to Rachel Wade and Sarah Ludemann’s case, though some changes have been made for creative purposes. Thus, the makers supposedly studied a lot of real-life incidents like this one to create a compelling and lifelike narrative.
He’s Not Worth For Dying Filming Locations
‘He’s Not Worth Dying For’ was filmed in British Columbia, primarily in Vancouver. The entirety of the Lifetime crime movie was lensed by ace cinematographer Mike Kam. Now, let’s take a closer look at the details of the filming sites.
Vancouver, British Columbia
‘He’s Not Worth Dying For’ was entirely lensed in Vancouver, a seaport city on the province’s west coast. The cast and crew took advantage of the scenic locations in the area to film the romantic scenes in the movie. Given the movie’s real-life inspiration and the dire picture it paints about social media, the film heavily influenced the thought process of the leading three actors.
Despite the heavy nature of the movie, the actors seem to have enjoyed their time during the filming process. The light-heartedness missing on-screen could easily be seen on the set when the cameras were not rolling. Popularly called Hollywood North, Vancouver provided highly suitable backdrops to shoot the real-life inspired film, given the numerous hi-tech production facilities available within the city. The lively metropolis has also hosted the cast and crew of many Lifetime movies like ‘Dirty Little Secret‘ and ‘Dying to Belong.’
He’s Not Worth For Dying Cast
Rachel Boyd takes up the role of Isla Masters in the Lifetime thriller. You may have seen her in ‘Grand Army‘ and ‘The Bold Type.’ Hilda Martin essays Grace Heinemann, who becomes Isla’s arch-enemy due to their shared lover. The actress has also worked in ‘Superman & Lois‘ and ‘Our Christmas Journey.’ Meanwhile, Lachlan Quarmby completes the love triangle with his portrayal of Jake in the film. If his face seems familiar to you, it may be because of the multiple projects he has been a part of, including ‘A Very Merry Bridesmaid‘ and ‘Charmed.’
Interestingly, the movie marks the first time the three actors essay leading characters. Robin Givens appears as Grace’s mother Cher in the film, while Todd Thomson plays Ivan. Other notable appearances in ‘He’s Not Worth Dying For’ include Geraldine Chiu (Cami), Kaitlyn Santa Juana (Ari), Katarina Mueller (Kiley), Brittany Mitchell (Ginny), and Donald Sales (Officer Hardy).
Read More: Is Lifetime’s Who Kidnapped My Mom a True Story? Where Was it Filmed? Who is in the Cast?
