Hidden Family Secrets (2018 Lifetime)
Stars: Diora Baird, Blanche Baker, Abbie Gayle
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
Recently widowed mom, Melanie, and her daughter Gabby are adjusting to life after husband and dad Scott died in a tragic boating accident. When Gabby disappears after a heated argument with her mom, authorities and friends fear she’s run away from home. Unwilling to believe her daughter would run off, Melanie is convinced something more sinister is behind her daughter’s disappearance.
Thoughts
Gabby is a teenager who video chats and blows kisses at the screen. I hate her. Her hunk husband Scott and wife Melanie are more my speed. They go on a family late trip to a literal cabin in the woods. Scott is quite a character who loves the lake house life. (I mean even his swim shorts are cute.) They go boating together and enjoy the beautiful day. UNTIL Scott falls of the boat and dies?!?!?!
Melanie is now a widow and is visited by her brother Steve who comes to town to check on her. (They seem more like lovers than siblings, I’m getting a weird these actors are dating vibe.) Mel is not doing well, and neither is her daughter. Gabby quit the volleyball team, skips school, and has stopped video chatting and real-life chatting with her ex-boyfriend Jason. Melanie and Gabby get into an argument when Melanie says she is thinking of selling the cabin.
Gabby randomly call her estranged grandmother and asks her to take her up to the cabin. They sneak away for a day trip and don’t tell Melanie because she doesn’t approve of Grandmother Helen. At the cabin, Helen talks about memories of her son, and they cry over the loss of Scott. (A nosey neighbor sees them while gardening and will surely tell everyone she can.)
Helen offers to show Gabby the house where her father grew up. They go into Scott’s childhood bedroom, which is locked and a bit creepy. Gabby asks to use the house phone to call her mom and let her know where she is. The house phone is out of batteries, and Gabby’s cellphone is broken. Helen makes tuna fish with roofies, and Gabby eats it up. Gabby starts to feel dizzy, so Helen takes her up to Scott’s old room.
Melanie calls all of Gabby’s friends and eventually, the detectives. Steve helps Melanie, and they have a lot of inappropriate romantic chemistry. It is disturbing. Helen stops by and helps hands out flyers.
Gabby wakes up the next morning and wants to call her mom. Helen reassures Gabby that she spoke with Melanie, which is true. Helen says that Gabby can stay the weekend with her and feeds her more roofies. Disoriented and confused, Gabby tries to leave and asks a neighbor for help. The neighborhood wants to call the paramedics, but Helen rips the phone from her hands and knocks the neighbor down, killing her. Gabby is bedridden. Helen blames Melanie for killing her son, and kidnapping Gabby will be her revenge. Gabby admits she was driving the boat and killed her father. Helen now wants her dead too.
An extremely hot cop check out the cabin and finds nothing. He throws up his hands as if you say, “Whatever! My job is done.”
Finally, Mel and Steve go to the cabin and talk to the nosey neighbor, who tells them about seeing Helen and Gabby. Melanie calls Helen and demands her to give her back her daughter. They go to Helen’s house to run around calling for Gabby.
Helen feeds Gabby more pills and throws her in the bathtub. Melanie screams at Helen, who almost hits her with a fire poker. Steve grabs the poker and screams at Helen. They find Gabby in the bathtub and call the police. Helen is taken away while humming and claims not to know what happened. Melanie screams at her like a lunatic.
Melanie and Gabby have a picnic by the lake. Gabby has taken up postery
Side Note
Minority Report: Danielle, Jane, hot cop,
Also Known as: My Daughter Vanished
Super melodramatic.
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Overall rating
🔪 (1 Knife)
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 (5 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2018 Lifetime
