A mother’s love can be a powerful force, but what happens when that love morphs into obsession? “Killing the Competition,” starring Melissa Joan Hart, poses this unsettling question as it follows Elizabeth Fenwick, a woman whose world begins to splinter when her daughter, Grace, is cut from the high school dance team. This is not a simple tale of parental disappointment; it’s a chilling study of how unchecked ambition can drive a person to extremes.
Returning to her hometown with her husband, Steve (Eddie Mills), and their children, Elizabeth views her daughter, Grace (Lily Brooks O’Briant), as her second chance at the life she once imagined for herself. The tryouts for the school’s competitive dance team—the very team that once highlighted Elizabeth’s own talent—become the battleground for her unfulfilled longings. The sting of Grace’s rejection ignites a fury in Elizabeth, turning her frustration toward the school administration. She no longer sees the school as a place of education but as an obstacle to what she thinks her daughter, and by extension she, deserves.
Her resolve hardening, Elizabeth becomes dangerously fixated on Hannah (Valerie Loo), the dance team’s star, and her mother, Nicole (Anzu Lawson). Elizabeth’s actions become increasingly erratic, blurring the line between concern and a dangerous fixation, as she descends further into her dark pursuit of lost glory. This story examines the toxic potential of parental ambition and how a desire for validation can lead down a destructive path. The film explores how those desires and obsessions propel Elizabeth into a shocking kidnapping plot, all in a desperate attempt to reclaim the past.
A familiar face on Lifetime, Hart also executive produces “Killing the Competition” through her Hartbreak Films company. With several other collaborations with the network, including “The Bad Guardian” (2024) and “Would You Kill for Me? The Mary Bailey Story” (2023), her work has frequently explored complex, flawed characters. This new film, directed by Lee Gabiana, featuring a screenplay by Jane Espenson and Christina Welsh continues this trend.
Be sure to tune in to “Killing the Competition” premiering on Lifetime, Friday, March 1 at 8PM/7c.
