Lies Between Friends

Joss Jenner is a high-end art authenticator who begins the film by proving a supposed Gainsborough painting is a forgery because the brushstrokes indicate a left-handed artist. She travels to her Aunt Rebecca's B&B for the bridal shower of her friend Wendy, where she is forced to confront Cait, a former friend she hasn't spoken to in years. Joss believes Cait had an affair with her fiancé, Eric, just before he died in a motorcycle accident. Cait, now an actress in recovery, claims she can prove her innocence, but the tension remains high among the group, which includes the wealthy Beth, the athletic Marti, and the conservative Laura. During the first night, Cait is found dead after falling from the roof. Sheriff Watts initially suspects the handyman, Billy, who flees and is revealed to be a fugitive named Richard Marley living under an alias. However, Joss notices inconsistencies, such as dirt on the floor inside the house and a specific lozenge tin Cait used for nicotine cravings. As Joss investigates, she discovers that Billy was actually a harmless B-movie fan obsessed with Cait's films. With the help of her friend Stephanie, a doctor, Joss accesses Cait's medical records and learns two vital pieces of information: Cait had a severe peanut allergy and she had been pregnant during their junior year of college. Joss realizes that Laura’s 14-year-old son, Kevin, is actually Cait’s biological child, whom Laura agreed to raise as her own to protect Cait's reputation. The father is revealed to be Doug, the husband of their friend Beth. Doug, fearing that Cait would reveal the truth and cause him to lose access to Beth’s family fortune, met Cait secretly and swapped her nicotine lozenges for ones laced with peanut oil. This caused Cait to go into anaphylactic shock on the roof, leading to her fatal fall. In the climax, Doug returns to the B&B to eliminate Joss and Laura. He holds them at gunpoint on the roof, but Aunt Rebecca intervenes, using a heavy antique candlestick to knock Doug off the roof. The film ends with Wendy's wedding proceeding as planned, Joss finding romantic potential with Sheriff Watts, and Joss finally finishing a painting she had abandoned years ago, which Cait had kept all along.