Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Fatal Defense

  • TV Movie
  • 2017
  • TV-14
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
4.3/10
322
YOUR RATING
Sherilyn Fenn, Ashley Scott, and David Cade in Fatal Defense (2017)
Thriller

A single mother signs up for self-defense classes from a handsome instructor. But he develops a frightening obsession with her and orchestrates an increasing deadly array of "tests" to see i... Read allA single mother signs up for self-defense classes from a handsome instructor. But he develops a frightening obsession with her and orchestrates an increasing deadly array of "tests" to see if she has truly learned from his lessons.A single mother signs up for self-defense classes from a handsome instructor. But he develops a frightening obsession with her and orchestrates an increasing deadly array of "tests" to see if she has truly learned from his lessons.

  • Director
    • John Murlowski
  • Writer
    • Steven Palmer Peterson
  • Stars
    • Ashley Scott
    • David Cade
    • Sherilyn Fenn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.3/10
    322
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Murlowski
    • Writer
      • Steven Palmer Peterson
    • Stars
      • Ashley Scott
      • David Cade
      • Sherilyn Fenn
    • 12User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos2

    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast14

    Edit
    Ashley Scott
    Ashley Scott
    • Arden Walsh
    David Cade
    David Cade
    • Logan Chase
    Sherilyn Fenn
    Sherilyn Fenn
    • Inspector Banks
    Sophie Guest
    • Emma Walsh
    Laurie Fortier
    Laurie Fortier
    • Gwen Walsh
    David Paladino
    David Paladino
    • Thief
    Tannis Kristian Bailey
    • Cindy
    Marshall Duncan
    • Coach Harrison
    Madison Erceg
    • Student
    Andrew J. Jackson
    • Martial Art student
    Shon Lange
    Shon Lange
    • Rory
    • (as Shon David Lange)
    Mary Malloy
    • Marie
    Eric Shackelford
    • Tai Chi student
    Sheldon Vila Widuch
    Sheldon Vila Widuch
    • BG Featured Self-Defense Student
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Murlowski
    • Writer
      • Steven Palmer Peterson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    4.3322
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    1sheldonjihenry

    Hgchb

    The most painful movie for the eyes and ears. Such a disappointing movie that is terribly written, terrible acting and the most stupid and annoying thing you will ever watch. Just not worth watching at all
    3Chase_Witherspoon

    Sisters are doing it for themselves

    Stalker time again on the MyTime channel, as single mother Scott discovers she's the target of a twisted psychopath putting both her life and that of her young daughter in peril.

    Scott has a physically demanding role but it's Sherilyn Fenn we've all come to see, here playing a hard-nosed, tea-drinking detective who gives Scott the initial idea to learn self defence as a means of regaining her composure and confidence following a violent home invasion.

    Reasonably taut, formula-fed plot does best in anticipation of the action, those scenes awkwardly staged invariably looking stilted and crude even by telemovie standards. The performances are varied with the principal cast mostly consistent, although the same can't be said for many of the background characters who appear wooden and amateurish.

    Average telemovie offers nothing new in terms of plot, although it's good to see former diva Fenn and Scott in dominant roles (Fortier completes the triple threat as Scott's no-nonsense detective sister) with no male hero to fall back on. This aspect at the very least should appeal to some viewers.
    2Pjtaylor-96-138044

    The premise alone is so eye-rollingly rote that even if it were to have been executed competently I'd be surprised if the feature was anything other than cripplingly mediocre.

    The premise alone is so eye-rollingly rote that, even if it were to have been executed competently, I'd be surprised if the feature was anything other than cripplingly mediocre. 'Fatal Defense (2017)' is an uninspired amalgamation of every daytime television trope one can think of, forced into the constraints of a blandly acted and boringly shot mess of a piece that features a constantly overbearing and oddly pop-infused musical score which is almost hilariously over-wrought and inexplicably loud to the point where dialogue is often near inaudible. The apparent 'experts' in the flick are ridiculously unconvincing as they clumsily try to convince us that they are trained killers by flailing their arms or rolling around on the floor - until they're exposed to their ultimate weakness, that being slightly wet moss, of course - and every character lacks any legible arc beyond the basics of, for example, beating the bad guy. It's really the absolutely awful script that drags this down to almost unwatchable levels because no-one ever says anything remotely interesting or, worst of all, anything that a real human being would ever even think to say. 2/10.
    2regstir-imdb

    how is it 4 stars ?

    How this movie made it beyond 4 is beyond me. Not one watchable or believable scene, pathetic direction, can't blame the actors for the otherwise sordid movie this is. The screenplay writer needs to be sent to Syria before he/she releases the next one. Even Asylum movies are better than this - wait I didnt check if this was by them b4 I wrote this so the joke might be on me
    1solidabs

    Holy Lord

    The writer Steven Palmer Peterson should never write again. This was a ree Todd did movie. Just mind boggling stupid. Idiot you buy a gun when you're a single female, you don't take martial arts lmfao. Sheridan Fenn now looks like Diane Feinstein. That's depressing. What happened to Ashley Scott beautiful body ie Walking Tall days with the Dumb as a Rock dude. That was depressing too. If anyone paid for this movie, you should sue for your money back. I will be a witness for you.

    More like this

    You Can't Take My Daughter
    6.0
    You Can't Take My Daughter
    A Woman Deceived
    4.4
    A Woman Deceived
    Unstable
    4.5
    Unstable
    Deadly Cheer Mom
    4.8
    Deadly Cheer Mom
    A Killer Walks Amongst Us
    4.6
    A Killer Walks Amongst Us
    Hidden Intentions
    5.0
    Hidden Intentions
    Broken Promise
    4.8
    Broken Promise
    One Small Indiscretion
    5.3
    One Small Indiscretion
    Deadly Inn
    4.8
    Deadly Inn
    My Little Girl Is Gone
    5.2
    My Little Girl Is Gone
    View of Terror
    5.2
    View of Terror
    He Knows Your Every Move
    4.8
    He Knows Your Every Move

    Related interests

    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      Logan tells Arden when he was shot the bullet exited his back. In the flashback after he is shot there is no exit wound in the back of the shirt he is wearing.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1, 2017 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • En defensa propia
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Maple Island Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 26m(86 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16 : 9

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.