Lifetime’s original movie PRETTY HURTS, written by Lydia Genner and directed by Brian Herzlinger, brings to light the hidden darkness within the glittering world of teen beauty pageants. Starring Haylie Duff as Julie and Sarah Borne as Lauren, the film follows a heartfelt and cautionary journey of a mother-daughter duo navigating ambition, pressure, and exploitation.
Julie, a former beauty queen, and her high school senior daughter Lauren find themselves drawn back into the competitive pageant circuit. Lauren, eager to attend her dream university to become a doctor, enters a pageant to win scholarship money. What starts as an innocent attempt to secure her future soon reveals a darker side of the industry—one rife with manipulation, toxic rivalries, and unspoken deals. Also starring Kaci Barker as Rae, with Cyane Gan, Haley Gosserand, and Rachael Markarian, the film is both timely and emotionally resonant.
IS ‘PRETTY HURTS’ BASED ON A TRUE STORY?
While the film touches on very real issues, PRETTY HURTS is not based on a specific true story. It is, however, inspired by the short film I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom’s Quest for Answers, which focuses on raising awareness about meningitis. Though fictional, the narrative draws from real-world challenges that many families face—particularly in competitive and image-driven spaces like pageantry.
Haylie Duff’s connection to the story is more personal than it seems. While she wasn’t part of the pageant scene herself, she’s been in the entertainment industry since childhood, alongside her sister Hilary Duff. She understands the pressure to be perfect and the expectations placed on young girls in competitive environments. This made the role even more meaningful for her.
In interviews, Duff explained that one of the reasons she agreed to take on the role of Julie was because the film also touches on parenting challenges—something she relates to. As a mother of two (Ryan, 8, and Lulu, 5) with her fiancé Matt Rosenberg, Duff connected to the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the story. The film explores how far a mother will go to protect her child and how children often carry the weight of their parents’ past choices.
WHERE WAS ‘PRETTY HURTS’ FILMED?
The entirety of PRETTY HURTS was filmed in Georgia, with a focus on Metro Atlanta and the city of Hiram. Filming began in April 2025 and wrapped up within a couple of weeks.
Metro Atlanta is no stranger to film and TV production. The region includes five key counties—Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, and Clayton—and offers a wide range of filming environments, from urban skylines to suburban neighborhoods. The city of Atlanta itself was used for numerous establishing shots, offering a dynamic cityscape that subtly supports the narrative. Landmarks such as the Georgia State Capitol, Centennial Olympic Park, and Bank of America Plaza may appear in background scenes, lending authenticity to the setting.
ATL FILM STUDIOS
The film’s main production hub, however, was the ATL Film Studios located at 110 Thompson Road in Hiram, Georgia. This modern facility provided the production team with everything they needed to bring the film to life. With two massive 20,000 square foot sound stages, 30,000 square feet of mill space, and 10,000 square feet of office space, ATL Film Studios allowed the team to construct various interior sets, including a hospital room, police precinct, beauty salon, and courthouse—settings vital to the plot’s progression.
Moreover, the studio features multiple standing sets, which made it possible for the production to film multiple scenes without the need to constantly relocate. This allowed for smoother shooting days and a faster turnaround time. It also helped the filmmakers recreate the polished-yet-pressured world of beauty pageants within a controlled environment, contributing to the film’s visual consistency.
BEHIND THE SCENE
“In an interview with TV Insider, cast member Rachael Markarian, who plays Helena, praised the cast and crew and said:”
“Had the pleasure of working with this talented and FUN cast & crew. Every day was a blast and made special by the people who worked on this film, both in front and behind the camera.”
Atlanta has long been a hotbed for filming major productions. In addition to PRETTY HURTS, the city has played host to projects like The Accountant (2016 film), Straw, Saturday Night, Ironheart, and Euphoria—thanks in part to Georgia’s film tax incentives and versatile locations.
OFFICIAL TRAILER
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