Sartaj Singh
Directed by Patricia Frontain, ‘Surviving the Sleepover’ narrates the thrilling tale of a high school girl who is invited to a sleepover by a group of popular mean girls but finds herself fighting for her life as the night drags on. Hannah is new in town and struggles to make friends due to her outspoken nature. As she begins to form a social circle, she becomes the target of bullying by the popular girls at the school. The leader of the quartet, Melissa, invites her over to her house for a sleepover with the group. Unaware that she was being called over for a prank, Hannah accepts and reaches Melissa’s house by evening.
Their sleepover starts standardly enough, with a game of Never Have I Ever, which leads to some excitement. However, things take a dark turn when Melissa begins to enforce the rules of her games with fatal intent. Caught in a deadly scenario with few avenues of escape, Hannah’s mother becomes her only hope of survival. The Lifetime thriller movie engrosses us in a relatable narrative of feeling outcast, serving as a reminder of the dangers lurking beneath the surface of teenage camaraderie and the importance of staying true to oneself, even in the face of adversity. The film’s settings serve to further elevate its engaging story as they take us from Hannah’s new neighborhood and school to Melissa’s luxurious house. Thus, many may feel compelled to learn about the filming spots behind the captivating environments of the movie.
Surviving the Sleepover Filming Locations
‘Surviving the Sleepover’ was filmed in Los Angeles, California. Principal photography was carried out within a few weeks in October 2023. While shooting, the cast members appreciated the supportive environment created on set by the crew, allowing them to bring the director’s vision to life. “Thank you (Patricia Frontain) for believing in me and directing this amazing cast and crew!” wrote lead actress Sloan Mannino in an Instagram post. “(Stella Nova), you did an incredible job selecting each of us, one of my favorite parts on set is seeing each of the roles come together in the same room and it just ‘make sense.’” Allow us to elaborate upon the filming location chosen for shooting ‘Surviving the Sleepover.’
Los Angeles, California
The cultural and world-renowned filmmaking hub in Southern California, Los Angeles served as an all-inclusive shooting destination for ‘Surviving the Sleepover.’ Scenes of the characters hanging out after school paint a nostalgic picture of teenage life in the city. The director wanted to capture the feeling of being new and out of place in an unknown community, as she went through a similar experience when moving from New York City to a tiny town in Texas. The suburban neighborhoods of Los Angeles provided such a canvas for the film’s story, with their serene streets and isolated hangout spots.
Interestingly, Patricia Frontain even utilized the time before filming to set up the character dynamics she wished to see on set. “I spent 15 hours at the wardrobe fitting and tried to have related characters in at the same time,” she said in an interview. “I had the four ‘mean girls’ in together, I let the mother and daughter figure out their dynamics, and I talked to the actors individually.” Further enhancing the director’s vision during the production process was the director of photography, Hana Kitasei, who insisted on understanding Frontain’s draw towards certain scenes before getting to know her vision for the shoot.
The central narrative of the film unfolds around a sprawling, multi-level Los Angeles property with a swimming pool. The filming location is surrounded by the characteristic arid landscapes of Southern California. From glittering skyscrapers to quiet suburban streets, the varied landscapes and robust filming infrastructure of the City of Angels have made it a home for a multitude of Lifetime movies. Some of these include ‘Blackmail, Lies, and Murder,’ ‘Alone in the Dark,’ ‘Lonely Crime Fanatic,’ and ‘Tall, Dark and Dangerous.’
Surviving the Sleepover Cast
Sloan Mannino steps into the lead role of Hannah. Sloan was a track and field athlete in her high school years and began her acting career with ‘Pi Day Die Day.’ You may have seen her in the Lifetime movie ‘Sabotaging the Squad,’ as the cheerleader Heidi. Starring opposite her is Jenna Hogan in her first film lead role as Melissa. Dawn Marie enacts Jessica in the film. She has worked in the productions ‘Play Hard’ and ‘About Us.’ Supporting cast members include Joshua Bertell as Cameron, Sage Moore as Abbie, Jennings Rice as Tracy, and Abigail Villanueva as Charlotte.
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