: Reviewers on Letterboxd describe it as "cheesy" and "drawn out," with some finding the two-hour runtime unnecessary for the simple plot.
The 1997 television movie is generally viewed by modern audiences as an quintessential piece of 90s "melodramatic slop," though it remains a nostalgic favorite for fans of made-for-TV thrillers. While it tackles serious themes like toxic sorority culture and hazing, critics at the time found its execution unconvincing and its plot formulaic . Critical Consensus Dying to Belong (1997)
: 6.2/10 — Users generally praise it as a solid, suspenseful TV movie. : Reviewers on Letterboxd describe it as "cheesy"
A remake of the film was released by Lifetime in 2021, starring , though many viewers consider the 1997 original superior for its authentic late-90s atmosphere. Dying to Belong (TV Movie 1997) - IMDb Critical Consensus : 6
: Often categorized as a "light thriller" that is "worth seeing when there's nothing else".
: The film is somewhat infamous for its heavy use of the song "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" by Sophie B. Hawkins, which plays multiple times throughout. Plot Overview
The story follows Lisa Connors (), a college journalism student who pledges a prestigious sorority alongside her friend Shelby ( Jenna von Oÿ ). When Shelby dies during a hazing ritual, Lisa suspects a cover-up and teams up with a student reporter ( Mark-Paul Gosselaar ) to uncover the truth. Viewer Ratings