This movie is something that would be good at your 14 year old daughter's sleepover. The two main characters are pretty static and predictable but the antagonists and supporting characters are entertaining especially near the end. The acting depicts teenagers how a 12-14 year old would think of teenagers which would explain why older people are less entertained. Not unlike the depiction of teenagers in riverdale. Also bonus points for attractive people.
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burgerman9328 August 2023It's an invalid story, but for a lazy Monday I was able to turn a blind eye to the flaws and get through its 90 minutes. The one caveat that the two main teens discussed is not frequenting the same retailer or currency exchange place more than once. But you see the girls buying mass quantities of designer clothes on two occasions with fake 100 dollar bills (based on the old style bills that aren't currently produced) and the cashier doesn't raise any red flag. Most retailers at least swipe a pen for large bills. And any time you need currency exchanged, a valid photo ID is required.
But anyways, the movie is made-for-TV, so it's not a reflection of reality. Sarah Butler is a dimensional actress, and has that attractive physique. Just wanted to mention that.
The ending especially was a slap in the face. -
tomfsloan1 August 2020Nice move for the fact that it had a different plot than the average Lifetime movie. And nice to see non-LA weather for a change. But the movie was loaded with plot holes and stupid things. It takes artists years to master intaglio. The girls did it instantly. Why was the art teacher such a stupid cocky jerk who happens to have a gratuitous money problem with the mafia? If he gets all this new printing equipment in the school, why didn't he just print the money himself? Why in the world did the flunky mechanic go to the currency exchange? Is he traveling abroad? (Her wig wasn't much of a disguise.) Why did it take so long for the feds to figure out the money laundering scheme? Why did the girl not fix the gash in her leg BEFORE dinner? Why is Ellen DeGeneres the cop? And again, he gets hit in the head with a 2x4 THREE times and nothing! He must be Yosemite Sam! She donates what is effectively stolen money! Don't the feds want that money back? Although the final scene with the little girl was quite humorous. All that said, it was still fun to watch. And as I've said elsewhere, it's best to watch this with someone else to make sarcastic remarks with.
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Kino26TV528 July 2018In a moment of weakness I watched this fluffy, unbelievable, wreck of a movie. The basic premise could work: teenage counterfeiters use their criminal skills to buy a bunch of expensive swag with phoney money. But the execution is often unintentionally laughable. The last time I watched a movie where I thought "that would never happen!" so often was Sharknado. Tweens may enjoy this, if only because every adult in the film is clueless, inept, or both.
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Wizard-810 February 2019The opening of the movie has a written statement that the story of this movie is based on true events. How closely that is I can't say for sure, but I am pretty sure that the true events were more entertaining and believable than what unfolds here. There are many problems with this movie, but the biggest problem is with the script. For starters, the movie starts at midstream, at what would be chapter two or three in a book. As a result, the movie starts at a confusing note. Here and further on in the movie are a bunch of glaring and unanswered questions, such as how the girls were able to get their hands on currency quality paper. Worse of all is that the movie gets stupider as it goes along. I realize the main characters are teenagers, but these teenagers (as well as many of the adult characters) make a great number of really stupid decisions that will have you groaning. Provoking noises of pain also comes from the many lines of dialogue that sound lame and contrived, sounding nothing like how real people speak. It certainly doesn't help that the entire production has the look and feel of a really cheap television production, though that's not much of a surprise when you know that this was a Canadian production. While this Canadian production is easier to take than most other Canadian productions - it at least tries to entertain a wide audience instead of just the director and his closest friends - all the same you'd be better off choosing something else on Netflix.
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angelanatina27 July 2022We don't want to know a history lesson on counterfeit laws at the end! We WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH TIME THE AUNT GOT, WHERE THE ART TEACHER IS AND HOW MUCH TIME HE GOT AS WELL AS THE BEST FRIEND!!! Great movie but the facts are lost and forgotten at the end which ruins the entire movie... WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE THREE???? AND COMMUNITY SERVICE??? WOW... UNBELIEVABLE.
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phd_travel10 October 2019At least this Lifetime movie deals with a not often dealt with topic - counterfeiting money. The premise that 2 teenage girls can make such good counterfeit notes is hard to accept. The action comes when a crooked teacher wants in on the action. The ending is quite satisfactory - not too fairytale.
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Stoshie7 July 2020I try to judge these TV movies, especially the ones shown on Hallmark and Lifetime, on a curve. After all, they aren't even in the same universe as the movies from Scorsese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick, and a dozen other current and past filmmakers I could name. They are formulaic, aimed to meet specific audience expectations, and almost always follow a similar pattern.
Even grading on a scale, this one is especially bad. It started out with an interesting premise, but went downhill faster than a bobsled. No one noticed the bills all had the same serial numbers? Inept Secret Service agents that can't catch a high school girl - twice? No backup? I don't like reviews with spoilers, so I'll stop there with mentioning the things that were just wrong with the plot. Most especially, the last half hour or so, and the totally unrealistic ending, really had me shaking my head. I can suspend disbelief happily with some movies, but this one stretched by ability to do so beyond the breaking point.
I've long ago learned that when you see a move that claims to be "based on true events" or "inspired by true events", what you are really going to see is complete fiction. That had to be the case here. I would guess that somewhere some high school students tried to make counterfeit money. That would be where any similarity between reality and this movie ended.
I am curious about one thing, though. Why does Lifetime keep changing the titles of movies? This was "Counterfeiting in Suburbia" when it was originally released. Lifetime recently replayed it under the title "Deadly Transaction". That title change thing has happened with quite a few of the movies they have shown recently, with movies that are a couple of years or more older. Why do they do that? -
Chartreuse120 June 2020We saw this last night under the title Deadly Transaction. Riley and Erica are NOT your typical high schoolers. They print counterfeit money and spend it lavishly. The movie stars Sarah Butler who always does a great job as the relative who discovers their secret as well as their lowlife art teacher who has an unpaid debt. He also discovers their secret. What happens next? Tune in to find. out Only thing that was missing is HOW the high schoolers got involved with this life of crime? Definitely would watch again.
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ppthgreghouse2 July 2018Time lost ,what a colossal mistake. Acting horrible , story meh , script meh , IDK if you are 9 maybe you'll like it Its like when you buy a box of Legos it says on the box 5+ For this movie a person/s must not exceed 10 years of age.
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I would not say this is a perfectly written script, but, frankly, the plot points are solid and the acting is pretty good. What strikes me the most about the story is the base realism the high schoolers display in thinking (to paraphrase), "We're too smart to get caught. No worries." As a teacher, I see that as a very realistic viewpoint for many young people today in our "freebie society."
Bravo!
Jim Hoffmann "The Boy in the Box: America's Unknown Child (3rd Edition) Et al. -
lavatch29 January 2021One has to feel empathy for Karen Cartwright, a widow and the aunt of young Riley Cartwright. Aunt Karen became Riley's guardian when she was twelve after the father deserted her and the mother embarked on a spree of petty crime. Scrupulously honest, Karen will now have to deal with a niece involved in a counterfeiting scheme.
If there is a theme to "Deadly Transaction" (a.k.a., "Counterfeiting in Suburbia"), it would be the desperation apparently felt by many struggling to make ends meet in today's world. This was apparently true for Riley's birth mother. It is certainly true for Riley's aunt. And, it is true for Riley's oily art teacher, Tim Sylvester. It was also a prime motivator in the printing of hundred-dollar bills by Riley and her friend Erica.
One of the most interesting characters in the film was Oliver, Riley's boyfriend, who reminds her that "you have to take a stand" to end the counterfeiting. Through Oliver and Aunt Karen, there was a genuine moral compass in Riley's life that guided her back from the brink.
There was good suspense in the interior struggle of Riley, whose conscience kept reminding her of her wrong-doing. At the same time, it was difficult to believe that the two high school students could pull off such a stunt when less than .01% of $600 billion in United States currency is counterfeit.
It also stretched credibility to think that Aunt Karen would not allow the police to handle Oliver's kidnapping and that she would collaborate with her niece in printing the money for Oliver's ransom. It was also not clear why Aunt Karen was charged with a felony and sent to the penitentiary after Detective Glass clearly did not believe her made-up story that the shady Tim Sylvester was her "business partner." The quick-thinking Detective Glass instantly recognized that Aunt Karen was protecting her niece.
The film's denouement of Riley cheerfully performing community service seemed too smarmy given the serious of her crimes. And, by the way, what ever happened to Erica? -
Kazabazua26 January 2019This is a movie about criminality--the criminality of the writer, the director and the cast. What a turkey! The only urgency the viewer feels is the urgent need to flee (or to take an extended bathroom break) to avoid the tedium. If I didn't know better I'd suspect that this Canadian-made effort was intended purely to cash in on Can-con requirements and to grab as much government cash as possible. Oh wait...
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MrDevgel16 March 2024Take Mad Money (2008), which isn't exactly a masterpiece, dilute its plot with gallons of water and you'll be left with something resembling this film.
Stereotypical, one-dimensional characters, a strange plot that's disjointed at best (and bizarre at worst) with a cookie cutter story of good guys dealing with financial woes and venturing into a life of crime to pay back the loan sharks (and banks).
And, of course, throw in a character who's there merely for the adrenaline rush. Just to spice things up a tad bit.
The reason I'm giving it 3/10 is because, at the very least, it wasn't exactly unwatchable. Probably because counterfeiting is something I've fantasized about as a cash strapped kid. -
noserialkiller1 May 2019I don't know why so many people post negative reviews which are unduly harsh on this website.
Anyway, I saw this and I thought it was pretty damn good! The acting was actually good and the movie kept me interested throughout.
It also starred Sarah Butler, who is always fantastic!
8/10.