Mommy Would Never Hurt You (2019 Lifetime)

Mommy Would Never Hurt You (2019 Lifetime)

Cast: Kristen Vaganos, Libby Munro, Micavrie Amaia, Zack Gold

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Synopsis (via Lifetime)

Riley wants nothing more than to rebuild her estranged relationship with her mother and her little sister, who are shut-ins due to her sister’s illness. But when Riley realizes her sister may not actually be as sick as she appears, Riley’s mother catches on, stopping at nothing to keep her daughters with her forever.

Thoughts

Sisters, Riley and Beth live in a troubled household. Riley runs away from home, leaving her little sister with an emotionally abusive mother named Monica. Beth is a young girl with stuffed animals in her room; she is homebound due to an illness. Monica seems like a hypochondriac who is into holistic healing. (She could also be suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy.)

Years later, (I’m assuming unless I missed a title card.) Riley finally visits home. She now runs an organic bakery. Monica seems less excited to see her daughter and more interested in killing the germs on Monica. She makes her change her clothes and shower before entering the home. Beth and Monica are thankful to have her sister back. Riley shares that she is engaged to a nurse named Aiden. Monica invites her to stay for the weekend but insists on the highest level of sanitation at all times. She claims that Beth has Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The sisters bond and look at photos on Riley’s phone. When Monica finds them breaking the rules, she screams at Riley, and Beth goes into convulsions. After Monica handles the incident, Riley calls Aiden and tells him what happened. He promises to look into Guillain-Barre with a specialist. He thinks it is bizarre that Beth is not allowed to leave her house even. Then Riley overshares with the delivery person named Jean. Monica overhears both conversations, and angrily tells Riley that she needs to stop sharing private family matters.

Riley doesn’t take her mother’s advice. She sends Aiden pictures of Beth’s nails, and he is very concerned. He asks her to overnight him some nail and hair samples so he can run tests. He thinks Beth is being poisoned. Riley sneaks into Beth’s room at night and gets the samples she needs.

The next morning, Monica gives Jean a box of cookies because she doesn’t want her to spread the family business. The cookies have something in them that makes Jean choke to death. Riley also starts not to feel well and is put on bed rest by her mother.

The sick sisters bond over make up. Beth has never worn any and asks for a smokey eye. Riley gives her sister a makeover, and Beth looks like the seventeen-year-old she is. They do a fashion show and have fun until Beth starts to have shooting pains. Riley gives her some Tylenol, and Monica forces Beth to throw it up by gargling raw eggs. (Umm, gross.)

Monica takes Riley’s phone from her and thanks her for putting her family first. Then she buries it in the greenhouse. Riley learns that Jean died when a new package delivery person comes. Riley brings it up to Monica, who is shocked, but 100% responsible. Then she demands that Monica give her back her phone. Monica gets hyper-protective, and they fight so bad, Beth freaks out. She isn’t emotionally developed enough to see that Monica is out of line.

Riley starts vomiting, and Monica attempts to take care of her again. Aiden calls and leaves a voicemail that the test results come back, and there is thallium in Beth’s system. He warns her to get out of the house and to a hospital ASAP. Monica intercepts the message and deletes the messages. That doesn’t stop Aiden from stopping by the house looking for his fiance.

Monica lets him in and is uncharacteristically touchy-feely. She makes him tea and opens up about the girl’s father. The father died in a car accident, and it was Monica’s fault because she made him go to the store. She cries, reliving the memories and apologizes. Then she gives him a scone full of poison, and he goes into cardiac arrest and dies while she watches sipping tea. Monica, you bitch!

The next morning, Riley wakes up and notices her hair is falling out. She knows Monica is poisoning them and tries to convince Beth to leave again. Beth cries in her locked room because she doesn’t know what to do. Monica stops Riley and chokes her until she falls to the ground.

Riley finds the body, and Monica is about to kill her daughter. Beth steps outside and realizes that she is fine to be out. She saves her sister, and then they drive away. Beth has never driven before, so when Monica chases after them, she has trouble speeding into town for help. Beth crashes the car and hits a tree. The sisters are disoriented but escape the car. Monica runs up to them and all three hold hands and lay in the dirt while looking up at the sky.

Beth survives and is living with Riley. They went to Paris and are living their best lives. Monica is in jail and the sisters visit her, even though she is the worst. Good for them!

Side Note

Minority Report: Most of the cast, except for Aiden.

Something different for a Lifetime movie. It was done better in HBO’s Sharp Objects.

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Overall rating

🔪🔪 🔪 (3 Knives)

🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)