A Mother’s Worst Fear (2018 Lifetime)
Stars: Katrina Begin, Joey Lawrence, Lily Delamere
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
Alice is starting a new chapter in life by moving on from her highly stressful job as a hostage negotiator and putting more focus on her family. Suddenly, her world is turned upside down when her daughter is abducted with no demand for ransom. As Alice uses her expertise with abduction cases to do everything to find her daughter, she discovers the kidnapper has a personal vendetta against her husband Brent with malicious consequences.
Thoughts
A blonde woman is gagged and tied to a pole, so it must be a Lifetime movie. She struggles and calls out for help.
Flash to 24 hours earlier, we see the same woman in a schoolgirl uniform, like Britney Spears. Her name is Maddy, and she is being driven to school by her mom Alice who not-so-casually drops that she used to be a hostage negotiator. Alice’s husband is Joey Lawrence. (WOAH!) He appears mostly on facetime in the first part of this movie. LAME.
Alice goes to her new job as an interior designer or something with real estate. Her dead behind the eyes, boss, or assistant Victoria attempts to make it down steep stairs in high heels. They talk about Brent, no clue who that is… maybe Joey Lawrence?
In a coffee shop, Alice runs into an ex-coworker and probably ex-boyfriend named Steve. They talk about the time that Alice was a hostage negotiator. Steve is a police officer.
Maddy is tired of her over-controlling mother and sneaks out to party with her friend and a guy with too many buttons unbuttoned on his shirt. (Like, he practically has side boob.) On her way home from Maddy is followed by a car and kidnapped.
The next morning Joey Lawrence and Victora talk on the phone. They are having an affair, and Victoria is the worst actress I’ve seen in quite a while on Lifetime. Meanwhile, Alice realizes her daughter hid pillows in her bed and snuck out of the house. Alice’s cellphone rings, and it is Maddy. Maddy tells her mother that she has been kidnapped. The kidnapper holds up notes for Maddy to read to her mother and is dressed in a black hockey mask, leather jacket, and black hoodie. Alice attempts to negotiate because that used to be her job. It doesn’t work, so Alice calls her cop friend to track the number.
Alice calls the dead behind the eyes assistant and cancels all her meetings. Then she drives around town with a high heel of Maddy’s that she found. Then she breaks into the house of the tacked phone number, grabs a knife, and finds someone in the shower. The man in the shower turns out to be Steve, her cop friend. He promises that he didn’t kidnap her daughter and comforts her. He tries to help her work through who might want to kidnap her.
The dynamic duo interrogates some of Maddy’s friends. Who implicates Hunter (The sideboob guy.) They then talk to Hunter at a cafe and accuse him of following her. The dialogue here is super awkward and strained. Then they suspect one of Maddy’s teacher named Josh. They rough him up too, but he didn’t do anything.
Even worst is Joey Lawrence and Victoria’s scenes. This woman is TERRIBLE. Joey Lawrence gives her the brush off after learning that his daughter has been kidnapped. Joey Lawrence is mad that Alice is spending time with Steve; she literally is in every scene with him, so I get why he is mad.
Flashback of Alice and Steve working a hostage situation that goes wrong. Alice ended up shooting the victim. They go to get into the head of a kidnapper named Nick. Think law and order, but much much worse.
Maddy doesn’t need anyone to save her; she almost gets away by spraying her kidnapper with some mace or something. The kidnapper grabs her and reties her up.
Out of options, Steve suggests looking into Joey Lawrence’s financials, and Victoria starts to seem suspicious while still being dead behind the eyes. Steve says that Joey Lawrence is too controlling and is up to some shady business. He also gets photos of Joey Lawrence and Victoria kissing, Alice knows her husband is cheating and lying to her. She screams, “DAMN IT!” and stomps around.
Maddy gets herself untied AGAIN. She doesn’t get far but manages to knock the hockey mask off to reveal that the kidnapper is Victoria. (Eye roll.) Victoria says she is doing it all because Joey Lawrence has been distancing himself from her. It is a test for Victoria to see who Joey Lawrence comes to comfort when something traumatic happens to his daughter.
Joey Lawrence comes home and isn’t on the phone or facetime. Alice tells him that he is a POS and then says, “Tony’s Cronies.” with a straight face. Joey Lawrence takes no responsibility and turns it around on Alice and her relationship with Steve. What the hell.
Somehow they all realize Victoria is guilty and make a bunch of calls. Nothing more entertaining than watching people make phone calls. They decide to check the basement of the work building and find a non-threatening Victoria holding a knife to Maddy’s neck half-heartedly. Victoria monotonously states that she wants Joey Lawrence to love her and not Alice.
Alice and Steve do their hostage routine. Alice jumps on Victoria and slaps her a few times, and then she says, “I told you I was coming for my girl.” The police show up and take photos while Alice and Maddy talk about earning trust in their relationship. They hug, and Joey Lawrence wants to get in with his family. The ladies are unimpressed.
Joey Lawrence packs up his office to submit everything to the FBI. He apologizes to Alice. They are getting divorced, thankfully. Steve tells Joey Lawrence he will take care of his girls while he is in prison. Steve and Alice are dating and laugh and laugh.
Alice and Maddy move out of the house and start a new adventure. Thankfully we won’t have to watch it, because this movie sucked.
Side Note
Minority Report: Maddy’s friend, Barista, Security Guard Marylin, teacher,
Also Known as A Mother’s Greatest Fear
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Overall rating
🔪 (1 Knife)
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 (5 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2018 Lifetime
