Claire Valens (Kat Graham) is climbing the corporate ladder while hounded by a fiery past. She becomes the new favorite assistant to land developer Scott Crane (Sebastian Roché) climbing over Lane (Aren Buchholz). She is seduced by Eve Crane (Merritt Patterson) before knowing that she's the bosses' trophy wife. When Scott falls to foul play, police detectives Parker (Roger Cross) and Arlo Leonard (Cardi Wong) investigate. They start focusing on Claire especially with her past.

The first half is slow. It's not erotic enough to be erotica. It has no thrills. There is barely any drama. It is setting up for the second half. The second half starts off well enough with the crime and investigation. It has a good mystery for awhile until the twisty reveals start happening. The first one is expected. The second one comes out of nowhere and really screws it all up. The third and final one could be workable if the second one isn't there. The first half is bad. The second half ends up being bad.

"You're acting paranoid". Oh yeah. You would be too if the cops were after you. Oh and how about a triple-digit temperature to go along with the fuzz.

Anyway 2022's Heatwave initially feels like a Lifetime endeavor until you realize it's not (Paramount Pictures, ding ding). The film has better production values than anything on the Lifetime Network and for once it was shot in a city and not some residential outlet.

So is Heatwave a suspense drama that pulls the strings and keeps you enthralled? For most of the way yes. Does the flick run out of wiggle room trying to wrap things up? Unfortunately yeah. That is Heatwave's veritable, Achilles heel.

Heatwave as a vehicle of lofty business panache, has a great look. I mean it's almost on par with the big studio stuff. It's a little 1994's Disclosure here and a little Basic Instinct there. Mainly it verges on neo-noir, glossy and slick and filmed in what looks like Vancouver, British Columbia (I could be wrong but just an observation).

Almost nil on violence and dense on mystery, Heatwave's story involves a businesswoman who while trying to climb up the corporate ladder, has an affair with her superior's wife. When said superior gets murdered, said businesswoman is the prime suspect. Oh and it's freaking hot outside (hence the film's title).

Heatwave stars Kat Graham, Merritt Patterson, Cardi Wong, and Sebastian Roche. Have you actually heard of these guys? No? Well me neither but they give decent performances. It's just too bad Heatwave's director (Ernie Barbarash) piles on so many twists and flashbacks that it feels like he's doing it just for the one up. I mean Barbarash knows where to put the camera and can summon steamy atmosphere but hey, even the makers of Clue have their limits. In the end Heatwave bodes promise but turns up kind of "lukewarm". Natch.

If you'll pardon the obvious pun here, the chemistry between the two leads sizzles. Merritt Patterson, a Hallmark / GAC Family regular steps well away from those G-rated made-for-television movies in this role, where she is definitely at her most beautiful and beguiling. As is Kat Graham, who I haven't seen in anything before.

Graham plays Claire, who embarks on an affair with a mysterious woman (Patterson) called Eve who appears out of the blue at her apartment building, only to find out that she is the much-younger wife of her boss, played by Sebastian Roche.

There are lots of scenes between Claire and Eve that are very easy on the eye, if you get my drift. Oh, and there is a lot going on under the surface, and suddenly she is in a fight for her life.

The plot twists towards the back end of the film are a little unbelievable, but there is enough tension to keep things interesting, even if it's fair to say that this sort of movie has been done plenty of times before, and probably better all around.

But not with Merritt Patterson, and there is enough of her to keep me interested. This is a huge step away from her 'girl next door' persona in the Hallmark/GAC Family world. Can't wait to see what she does next.