Shubhabrata Dutta
Directed by Sara Lohman, ‘Sins of the Bride’ is a thriller movie that centers on a woman named Cassie. She and her fiancé Jack are about to get married, and everything seems perfect. However, Jack fails to show up on the wedding day, proving Cassie’s instincts right. Of late, she had been feeling that something was wrong. This is when Jack’s best man and former roommate, Greg, comforts Cassie. The comfort soon gets intimate, after which she is informed that Jack has been in an accident and is admitted to a hospital.
When Jack returns home, Greg moves in to help her care for him and help him recover. As expected, Cassie’s infidelity-led conflict takes center stage. What worsens the matter is her finding Jack’s phone among Greg’s stuff. With doubts and suspicion hovering in her head, can she figure out if it’s all fate or some foul play? ‘Sins of the Bride’ offers a dark narrative fueled by desires and builds an almost sinister atmosphere, requiring the team to use backgrounds and settings that help highlight it.
Where Was Sins of the Bride Filmed?
‘Sins of the Bride’ was shot entirely on location in Middletown, Connecticut. Principal photography likely began in February 2024 and wrapped up by the end of the same month. A residential city at large, Middletown offers gorgeous natural and urban backdrops and a mix of the two. While much of the filming takes place indoors, many crucial scenes take place outdoors, thereby enabling the crew to incorporate the charm of the city.
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown became the base for the entire shoot. From buildings to marketplaces to pathways to natural landscapes, all kinds of backgrounds were used, either for real or as a double. The Lastrina Girls Bridal Salon, located at 179 Main Street, doubled as the salon where Cassie works with her friend/business partner Ariel. A few scenes were also taped at The Church of the Holy Trinity, located at 381 Main Street. In particular, it serves as Cassie and Jack’s wedding venue, wherein we see the former waiting for her groom’s arrival, but Greg appears instead. In this way, the production crew resorted to real locations for filming, lighting them up as per the requirements and highlighting the backdrops.
In addition to the aforementioned spots, the crew captured many scenes in several other areas, such as bars and other public venues across the city. Middletown is a go-to spot for film production in its urban settings, which can easily double for a metropolis. The tax credit provided by Connecticut is also an important factor, especially for Lifetime productions, making filming affordable. It is clearly visible how the crew took the utmost advantage of the amenities and facilities to shape the narrative, ensuring the movie doesn’t seem out of place.
The production itself was a blast for the cast and crew, who worked hand-in-hand to give shape to the story. Teamwork became paramount since filming was to be completed within a month, but it didn’t stop the team from turning Middletown into a professional playground. The city also served as the backdrop for other Lifetime movies like ‘Alarmed’ and ‘Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le.’ Owing to its tourist hotspots like the Wadsworth Falls State Park (721 Wadsworth Street), the Van Vleck Observatory (96 Foss Hill), the performing arts venue Buttonwood Tree (605 Main Street), and the Wesleyan University (45 Wyllys Avenue), the city is one of the most sought-after sites in Connecticut.
Sins of the Bride Cast Details
The cast of ‘Sins of the Bride’ is led by Kyle Kankonde, Charlie N. Townsend, and Titus Makin Jr. Performing since she was 5 years old, Kankonde won a Presidential Scholarship of the Arts at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She then channeled her love for performance art towards acting. Townsend is a Spring Hill native whose love for acting began at an early age, alongside basketball and fishing. Titus Makin Jr. was inspired by his sister, Natasha Makin, who was into acting in high school and college. His first job as a performer was as a New York Knicks Acroback Tumbler at the half-time event of a Madison Square Garden home game. A graduate of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, he is also a musician and trained gymnast.
Kyle Kankonde as Cassie Tate
Kyle Kankonde plays Cassie Tate, the protagonist of the movie, bringing about a sense of helplessness and regret in the aftermath of her unfaithful actions. She began her acting career with the short film ‘The Flow,’ going to showcase her talents as an actor in popular TV shows like ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime,’ ‘Life & Beth,’ and ‘Strange Events.’ Since the beginning of the 2020s, her career has been on the rise, proving her worth in shows like ‘The Equalizer,’ as Markesha, ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ as Officer Terry Moore, and ‘FBI: Most Wanted,’ as Lakeisha. As far as movies are concerned, she plays Nadia Georges in ‘Midnight Hustle’ and Samantha in ‘Charlotte The Return.’
Charlie N. Townsend as Greg Harmon
Charlie N. Townsend plays Greg Harmon, Jack’s best man/ex-roommate whose arrival turns Cassie’s life upside down. The amicable nature he adds to his character is effective in hiding his true sinister intentions, which he later reveals with ease. After appearing in the video titled ‘Spoof Deez’ and the movie ‘Arctic Apocalypse’ in 2019, Townsend bagged a role in the 2020 short films ‘The Zoo’ and ‘The Janitor.’ It was in the same year that he got the chance to showcase his skills as Greg in ‘Pool Boy Nightmare.’ His performance as Rufus Black in the Western film ‘The Night They Came Home’ put him on the map and ultimately paved the way for him to secure a role in ‘Sins of the Bride.’
Titus Makin Jr. as Jack Benson
Titus Makin Jr. plays Jack Benson, Cassie’s fiancé. His character is as much in the dark about what’s happening as one would be in such a situation, pulling off the innocent guy role conflicted between what’s true and what’s not. He is a familiar face in TV shows, having entertained viewers with his performances as David in ‘Glee,’ Jackson West in ‘The Rookie,’ and Lukas Parnell in ‘Star-Crossed.’ He bagged his first role in 2009 in the show ‘Celebrity Ghost Stories.’ The same year, he showed up in the short films ‘Tran·si·tions’ and ‘Ticked.’ Makin Jr.’s other notable roles on TV are Clark Wilkins in ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ Rick Schultz in ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and Lt. Adam Parish in ‘NCIS: Hawai’i.’ His feature film credits include Trey in ‘On the Come Up’ and Jason in ‘So This Is Christmas.’
The extended cast of ‘Sins of the Bride’ includes Anissa Felix as Ariel, Donna Winfield as Willa, Dara Woo as Sylvia, Sal Rendino as Officer Jackson, and Taylor Vale as Mac. They are joined by Jose Guns Alves as the bouncer, Danny Cassone as the chaplain, Amy Puchini as the young bride (whom we see try out a dress at the salon), Fernando Alers as the bartender, Jacqui Denski as the Wedding Photographer, Jay Gaudi as the strip club patron, Sharon Martinez and Elisabeth Medaris as bar patrons, and Brian Jones as one of the wedding guests.
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