Manny Dearest (2017 Lifetime)

Manny Dearest (2017 Lifetime)

Cast: Ashley Scott, Mitch Ryan, Woody Jeffreys

Check out the Lifetime Uncorked YouTube Channel!

Support Lifetime Uncorked by leaving a $3 tip today!

Synopsis (via Lifetime)

Single mom Karen Clark hires Alex, a manny (a male nanny or au pair), to help with her two young sons, never suspecting Alex has other plans and wants her family as his own, even if he has to murder to achieve his goal.

Thoughts

A blonde mother drinks some wine and takes a bath after her babysitter leaves. There is something in the drink, and the woman begins to feel woozy. A man with black leather gloves tells her that they “could have been a family.” before pushing her under the water and staging it as a suicide. The babysitter comes back and finds the woman in the tub and screams—title card.

Cut to ANOTHER blonde lady named Karen. She is raising two rambunctious boys (Max and Rex, what are they, dogs?) and secretly hooking up with a guy named Greg. Karen is looking to hire a nanny to help around the house, so she can spend more time with her boyfriend. Karen’s assistant/friend Gillian lines up the nannies and talks Karen into considering some Mannies too. She hires the most handsome one. His name is Alex. He also happens to be the murderer from the beginning of the movie. Karen wastes no time with references and basically runs out of the house, leaving Alex with her kids.

Alex lays in Karen’s bed and fantasizes about her, typical Manny stuff. He cleans the house, and Karen is so impressed she gives him a key to the house.

The next day, Alex arrives and is disappointed to see Greg. He takes the boys to school and is hit on in the parking lot by a soccer mom named Cori. Max is bullied at school, and Alex takes note. He teaches the boys how to fight.

At school, the bully strikes again, and Max gets beat up. Alex drops the boys off with Cori (Who still flirts with him.) for the afternoon to go handle the bully. Alex grabs his dog threateningly and tells the bully to leave Max alone, or else. (If this man kills this dog!)

Alex shows the boys a drone and almost hits Greg with it. Greg asks to fly it and breaks it, making them hate him that much more. Greg doesn’t seem to care because he is all about Karen. He takes her out for a fancy night out, making Alex jealous. Alex pours cough syrup into a smoothie to make the boys pass out for the night.

With the kids asleep, Alex is free to stalk Greg and Karen. He sees Greg preparing to propose and tries to call Karen to interrupt. When that doesn’t work, Alex pulls the fire alarm. Then his car is towed, and he makes a mad dash to get home before Karen and Greg. He makes it back just in time but is REALLY sweaty. Karen asks Alex to leave so Greg can propose to her. Alex watches through the window and then punches some trash cans.

If the wasn’t bad enough, he watches Karen and Greg have sex with his drone. The drone hits the window, and Greg finds a piece of the broken plastic outside. He is onto Alex.

Karen meets up with Gillian to gush over the engagement ring and share some concerns about how invasive Alex is. Greg has a good day with the boys, but he is sabotaged by Alex, who puts roofies in his iced tea and leaves beer bottles all over the house—making it look like Greg has fallen off the wagon. Karen finds him passed out on the floor and kicks him out of the house.

Greg shows up the next morning and accuses Alex of drugging him. Then he punches Alex in the face. Karen freaks out and throws the engagement ring at Greg. The relationship is over.

Cori won’t leave Alex alone. She looks through his phone, finding pictures of Karen in a towel. She confronts Alex and blackmails him for some sexy time in exchange for not sending Karen the photos. (What is wrong with this woman, can’t she find a man who is not a creepy killer? He isn’t THAT hot.) At the blackmail sex date, Alex imagines Cori is Karen. After the sex, Cori only deletes one picture and sets Alex off. He kills her with a lamp before she can call 911.

Greg does some snooping and gets a hold of the babysitter from the beginning of the movie. He gets evidence and brings it to Karen, but she won’t listen to him because he is a “drunk.” She does go home and fire Alex because he has the kids call him dad and makes a fancy dinner for Karen. Karen gets the key back and sends Alex on his way with his backpack.

This, of course, isn’t the last she’ll see of him. He kidnaps the kids and shows up at her house with a copy of the house key and a gun. Karen finally looked up Alex online and realizes that he is dangerous now. (If she only checked his references!) Alex tells Karen that he is taking his family to Wonder World. She records the whole conversation on the drone so Greg can find it later and save them.

At Wonder World, Alex uses bolt cutters to get into the empty amusement park. Alex is delusional and thinks the park is open and a fun time. He takes a selfie for the Christmas card and screams at them for not looking like they are having fun. When Alex grabs Karen, Max uses the moves Alex taught him to help his mother. The boys run away. Greg shows up and tries to save Karen, but he is shot. Karen grabs the bolt cutters and knocks Alex out as the police arrive. Alex gets away but finds a new family to obsess over.

Side Note

Minority Report: Anita,

Also known as A Stranger with my Kids.

📺. Stream/Watch the Movie (Ad): https://amzn.to/2NO2S5T

➡️ Check out our Youtube Channel: Lifetime Uncorked: Lifetime Movie Reviews

🎧 Listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast: https://anchor.fm/lifetime-uncorked

🍷 Support the show with a $3 tip: https://ko-fi.com/patrickserrano

Inquiries | podcast@lifetimeuncorked.com

🍾 Your Support is appreciated. Donate today to keep the website going! Thank you.

Overall rating

🔪🔪🔪 (3 Knives)

🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)