Villainess Review: Kara (Below Deck Deceit)

From what I've been seeing, Tubi has been the only thing hitting more home runs this year than Shohei Ohtani. They've really been delivering in the original film department, and in the villainess department as well, and this film, Below Deck Deceit, is yet another example. The film centers on a yacht charter that happens to have a big time celebrity guest: pop diva Sadie Woodford. Two of the crew members, Reaghan and Kyle, are briefed on not only Sadie, but her entire entourage appearing as guest on the yacht.

The group includes Sadie's manager, Kara, who is planning a big time promotion centered on her client. Christopher and Robbie (the former being Kara's son), who were co-stars on a show called Bitten High (a Gen-Z vampire show) with Sadie, Bill Hart (Sadie's bodyguard), and Camille Freeby (Sadie's lawyer). However, all is not well in Camp Sadie, as Sadie wants out of the limelight. She confided in Camille about her mental exhaustion and her desire to leave all of the fame behind. I swear, as I'm writing this, the song, Lucky, is entering my mind. Big time star, has it all, but isn't happy. Mental health is very, very important. Let's remember that.

Anyway, Camille informed Kara about Sadie's desires, and the next time we see Camille, she's being beaten to a literal bloody pulp by a hooded attacker. The rest of the group attends the charter, but the tragedy doesn't end there. Sadie disappears without a trace, with the suspicion that she's been murdered. And while there's a search for her body, a different one is found: Bill is deceased as well. We later see Christopher and Robbie talking about Sadie's disappearance; a scene that actually reveals that the pair are lovers. Reaghan and Kyle are interviewed, and regarding the former, she received some good news: Camille is alive. Barely, but she has a pulse, and she managed to write down the name of her attacker.

Meanwhile, Kara is shown with Christopher, and she's actually trying to convince her son to send Robbie down the proverbial river and label him as Sadie's killer--a plan that Christopher refused to abide by. Robbie later confronts Kara, informing her that he overheard her telling Christopher to sell him out before voicing his intentions to reveal the truth about Kara, who suddenly grabs a knife and stabs Robbie to death. Kara later turns back into a sweet-natured mother when Christopher enters, all while washing her son's boyfriend's blood off the knife.

Christopher later returns with Reaghan, much to the shock of Kara, who is officially outed as a serial murderess. It was Kara behind the brutal attack on Camille that left her nearly dead, but her bloodshed didn't end there. She also killed Bill by poisoning him, and she was the one who shoved Sadie overboard. The attack on Camille was obvious; it was in response to her supporting Sadie's desire to leave. As for Bill, Kara stated that he suspected Christopher in the disappearance, and she revealed that she killed Sadie for fame reasons--Sadie leaving the business would ruin Kara, but an accidental cruise death would bring more buzz and more money. Yeesh. The maniacal Kara attacked Reaghan, and even struck Christopher when he attempted to intervene. After separating the women, Christopher was shocked to see Robbie's body, and after lashing out at his insane mother, police entered and arrested Kara, who was identified by Camille in the hospital.

Below Deck Deceit hit Tubi on August 10, 2023, and featured Sarah Jane Morris as evil manager Kara. I had Kara pegged from jumpstreet, and the reason is simple. In a thriller or a crime show, when a celebrity has been murdered, nine times out of ten...it's the manager/agent. Kara did not disappoint me. From the moment she first appeared, she had that "whatever it takes for fame and money" demeanor, and she did a piss poor job of hiding it. Kara was ambitious, greedy, and very, very bloodthirsty; the way she came at Camille showed how ruthlessly violent she was in her quest for more clout. Speaking of...

I was hoping we'd get this--a nice flashback shot of Sarah Jane Morris in the "hoodie of evil," as well as a crazed and maniacal look after attacking Camille. I can't help but be focused on Kara's insane motive for killing Sadie: wanting to profit on her death. Yikes. This was an amazing performance from Morris; Kara was so deliciously psychotic and murderous, and Morris played every deranged facet of this villainess to absolute perfection. This isn't the first time that Sarah Jane Morris has played a villainess; she played evil flight attendant Pamela Jacks in an episode of Body of Proof.

Sarah Jane Morris is best known for playing Julia Walker on another ABC series, Brothers & Sisters, and also appeared in episodes of NCIS, Castle, and Grey's Anatomy, among other shows. In the big screen, Morris appeared in the 2005 film, Underclassmen, and in the 2008 film, Seven Pounds.

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Check out Kara's profile on Villainous Beauties Wiki!