Stuti Gokhale
Directed by Brian Skiba, Lifetime’s ‘Secret Society of Lies’ is a gripping thriller movie that revolves around Chrissy, a young woman struggling with anxiety. Her fears are triggered when a fraternity member attacks her at her college party. Despite her trauma, Chrissy decides to gather her might and fight back against the fraternity, but little does she know that the boys have ties with powerful and dangerous individuals. As she tries to expose the boys and their misdeeds, she falls in love with the College Dean’s son, Nathan, who supports her endeavors.
However, soon Chrissy becomes the target of the fraternity and college officials, who would go to any extent to stop her from revealing their secrets. Featuring powerful performances by talented actors like Kristen Vaganos, Luke Charles Stafford, Azizi Donnelly, and Justin Berti, the Lifetime movie tackles several relevant issues such as harassment, misuse of power, and the age-old fight against sexism and wrongdoing. The riveting portrayal of such themes makes one wonder if ‘Secret Society of Lies’ is based on actual events. If you wish to find out the same, here’s what we can tell you!
Secret Society of Lies is an Original Work
No, ‘Secret Society of Lies’ is not based on a true story. Instead, the realistic narrative can be credited to the writers Adam Champ and Helen Marsh. Both have used their expertise and creativity to craft a compelling story. While the movie is a work of fiction, one cannot deny that it delves into genuine problems faced by countless women worldwide. The protagonist, Chrissy, is attacked by some entitled men on her college campus, and when she tries to raise her voice against them, they go after her to silence her.
Such instances are not unheard of in real life, as harassment and sexual assault in colleges are sadly rampant across the world. According to a report by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, one in five women in college has experienced sexual assault. Furthermore, heartbreaking statistics by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) indicate that 13% of all graduate and undergraduate students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
Even more alarming is that very few survivors report the harassment or abuse to the authorities, and many don’t get the requisite support and assistance. In the movie, Chrissy faces opposition from influential men on her college campus. Again, this is not a very unimaginable scenario; thanks to movements in recent times like #MeToo, countless such stories of women being harassed or assaulted by men in powerful positions have surfaced. Though such mass movements have supported victims of such situations to raise their voices against their abusers and expose their actions, many have been threatened into silence by those in power.
While the Lifetime movie reflects on real-life problems, it adds a fictional touch to it by incorporating elements of revenge and revolt. Interestingly, several films and shows have dealt with these themes, yet a similar example has to be the 2020 Carey Mulligan starrer ‘Promising Young Woman.’ In it, a woman named Cassie decides to seek vengeance for her best friend, who died by suicide after being raped at medical school. Thus, the protagonist exacts revenge on her former classmates but faces dangerous situations when they try to silence her.
Though the crime thriller movie presents a more extreme take on women raising their voices against harassment, one cannot help but be reminded of how Chrissy bravely stands up to the fraternity members who target her in ‘Secret Society of Lies.’ In summation, it can be said that the Brian Skiba directorial mixes real-life themes with fictional and dramatic elements to create an entertaining yet hard-hitting story about a woman’s courageous fight against corrupt and powerful men who go after her.
Read More: Where Was Lifetime’s Secret Society of Lies Filmed? Who is in the Cast?
