Naman Shrestha
With Sean Cisterna occupying the director’s chair, Lifetime’s ‘There’s a New Killer in Town’ is a crime thriller drama movie that focuses on the quiet and peaceful life of Alice in a quaint town. However, with the arrival of writer Ronnie into the town and, ultimately, her life, Alice’s life turns upside down as she gets tricked by her deceiving nature. On the outside, Ronnie seems like a sweet and fun person to hang out with, but inside, she harbors a dark secret, something that Alice’s friend, Holly, sees through from the get-go.
As Alice and Ronnie get closer, Holly’s suspicion about the latter increases. As a series of strange events occur across the town, Holly tries to uncover the truth about Ronnie before it gets too late. Led by the compelling performances from Kathryn Kohut, the mystery film also features other talented actors in supporting roles, including Hanneke Talbot, Sarah Booth, René Escobar Jr., Eden Cupid, and Melissa Kelly. The picturesque town where the story unfolds acts as a facade that conceals a sinister truth about Ronnie.
There’s a New Killer in Town Filming Locations
Shooting for ‘There’s a New Killer in Town’ was carried out in a couple of cities across the province of Ontario — Mississauga and Pickering. As per reports, principal photography for the thriller got underway on April 16, 2024, and continued for the next couple of weeks before getting wrapped up by the end of the same month. A significant part of the production of the Lifetime film was conducted under the working title ‘The New Killer in Town.’
Mississauga, Ontario
‘There’s a New Killer in Town’ was extensively lensed in the city of Mississauga, which lies on the western shore of Lake Ontario. The production team took over numerous streets and neighborhoods across the city to tape pivotal exterior sequences. As for recording interior scenes, the cast and crew members supposedly set up camp inside actual establishments situated within the premises of Mississauga. Several establishing shots of the quaint town where Alice resides were also seemingly captured in the area. Over the years, the city has served as a filming spot for a variety of projects that embody the thriller element as the Lifetime movie; some of the titles that utilized the vibrant neighborhoods and areas of Mississauga are ‘Trap,’ ‘A Simple Favor,’ ‘Orphan Black,’ ‘Warehouse 13,’ and ‘RED.’
Pickering, Ontario
A portion of ‘There’s a New Killer in Town’ was also shot in Pickering, a city located northeast of downtown Toronto in the southern part of the Ontario province. In particular, the 23-acre William F. White backlot at 3800 Sideline 32 in the city is where the team spent some time lensing several scenes of the movie. Built on a slice of land spanning 90 acres, the production site is quite versatile as it can not only double up as a town with a contemporary appeal but also stand in for a rural community. Therefore, the spot is ideal for the production of movies and shows of various genres, ranging from action thrillers such as ‘Reacher’ to science fiction projects like ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.’
There’s a New Killer in Town True Story
While Sean Cisterna brought the narrative of ‘There’s a New Killer in Town’ to life through his direction, it was Charlie Mihelich who conceived the idea for the story and then wrote the engaging screenplay. Although the concept of a newcomer in town turning out to be someone shady or murderous is not something new, Charlie managed to generate something fresh by making it female-centric. Moreover, he rounded up the story with well-written characters, adding more intrigue to the overall narrative.
Showtime’s ‘Dexter: New Blood,’ is one of the TV projects that reminds you of ‘There’s a New Killer in Town.’ Created by Clyde Phillips, the crime drama series serves as the sequel to ‘Dexter.’ After faking his death in Miami, the titular character moved to Upstate New York to a town called Iron Lake. In order to hide his true identity, Dexter has been living under the guise of a local clerk named Jim Lindsay, which you might find similar to what Ronnie does in the Lifetime thriller. When Dexter’s criminal and murderous past catches up to him in the form of his estranged son, Harrison, his quiet life starts to crumble as he is at risk of revealing his true identity and ruining his present relationships.
In real life, there have been several serial killers who moved to a new city or state, where they made new friends. For instance, Ted Bundy took victims in different parts of the western part of the nation, including Washington, Utah, Colorado, and Florida, with people not aware of the fact that there was a killer in their town. Even though some plotlines of ‘There’s a New Killer in Town’ might seem familiar to many of you, it doesn’t change the fact that it took birth in Charlie Mihelich’s mind and is not rooted in reality.
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