Anniversary Nightmare (2019 Lifetime)
Cast: AnnaLynne McCord, Kate Vernon, Philip Boyd, Jennifer Freeman
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
Liz and Andrew are on their anniversary trip in Hawaii when Liz wakes up to discover her husband missing and evidence of an invasion all around her. But with no witnesses, she’s immediately labeled the prime suspect. Without any help from the system that failed her, Liz must solve the crime herself with the possibility that her husband may still be alive.
Thoughts
We start off with lots of stock footage of Hawaii! Liz (AnnaLynne McCord from 90210, the new one.) is like a fine wine, she gets better with age. She and her husband, Andrew, are on a 10th-anniversary getaway. They left their kids with the grandparents and have a lavish beach house, AND he gifts her an ugly ass Tiffany’s watch. (Liz loves diamonds, just like Liz Taylor!) Later that night, Liz and Andrew have sexy time while someone watches and say they love each other before passing out for the night.
The next morning, Liz awakes to find her husband, and more importantly, her watch is missing! Liz wanders around the house, saying Andrew for a long time. Then she notices that she has blood on her neck and hands. She also sees some baking supplies spilled in the kitchen, very ominous! The police show up and try their best to be good actors, but we know how police are in these movies. TERRIBLE. The cops find Andrew’s body (maybe?) burning in the backyard and take Liz away in handcuffs. Liz’s mom (who is a lawyer) gets her out on bail and back to the mainland to take care of her kids. Her mom is more concerned with Andrew living a double life and lying to Liz than him being dead.
At the funeral, Andrew’s parents accuse Liz of murdering their son and kick her AND the kids out of the funeral. Speaking of the kids, they also don’t seem too concerned that their dad is dead. They are worried about going to school and getting made fun of because everyone on social media is saying that Liz killed Andrew. While leaving school after dropping off her kids, Liz gets arrested for manslaughter, obstructing justice by hiding a body. They haul her off in a cop car.
In court, Liz is brought out in an orange jumpsuit. She looks terrible and looks even worse when her bail is not granted. Liz heads to overflow with other inmates, they are all POC’s and are surprised a white girl didn’t make bail. One inmate tells Liz that she needs to take matters in her own hands by making friends inside the prison. She also tells Liz not to trust the cops.
Liz bonds with her cellmate, Sam. Sam was an addict and is in recovery, she is worried about getting released. The prisoners are shocked that Liz and Andrew met online and worked through Andrew’s skeletons in his closet. They put a prison lady call out for any information on Andrew.
Things aren’t looking so good for Liz’s case, and her mom tells Liz that she doesn’t think she can get her out. Liz promises her kids that she will find out who killed their father. Liz has a dream about the night with Andrew and remembers that someone came in and drugged her and kidnapped Andrew. (Would seem like something you might remember!) Liz fakes sick to go to the hospital and sneaks out dressed as an EMT to head to Hawaii. (This seems like a terrible idea!)
Liz gets a ride from a lady trucker who helps Liz out of the kindness of her heart. Liz meets up with her dad at a mall; he knows Liz is out, but her mom does not. He gives Liz her tickets and hotel info and off to Hawaii she goes, just like that!
In Hawaii, Liz meets with a man named Gabriel, who is a worker at the hotel. Gabriel asks Liz if she has any enemies. The body is not Andrew’s, and it seems very premeditative. Since things work differently on the island, Gabriel promises to help her. He is a part of the underground system that the prison ladies arranged. They sneak onto the property where the murder took place and find it in the exact same condition. They look for fingerprints on a glass they find on the floor, and then they hear a sound. Gabriel goes to investigate and is attacked by a man named Jesse. Jesse was convicted of murder by Liz years ago, and he is enacting his revenge.
Liz runs inside and finds Gabriel is alive. They attack Jesse and demand that he tells them where Andrew is. Liz offers money in exchange for Andrew, and they agree to meet at a lookout. Gabriel threatens to kill Jesse if he doesn’t show up.
At the lookout point, Jesse brings Andrew. (I’m surprised he is really alive!) Liz gives Jesse the money, but Gabriel takes it. Turns out Gabriel and Jesse are brothers? They give Andrew over, but before they go, Jesse pulls a gun on them. Gabriel talks him out of shooting the couple in a very anticlimactic and poorly acted moment.
Liz faces no repercussions for breaking out of jail and fleeing the country. She instead pays it forward like the lady truck driver told her to and visits her cellmates in prison. She introduces them to her family and brags about starting her own women-focused law practice. Liz may be the worst, or this movie may be the worst. Or BOTH!
Side Note
Minority Report: Jesse & Gabriell. The police, female truck drivers, and female inmates. This movie was very problematic with the whole “White Savior” trope.
This is what AnnaLynne McCord’s career has come to? I feel bad for her.
Some of the best acting I’ve seen from Caia Coley. (She has been in MANY lifetime movies, you can recognize her by her extreme lip injections or if it isn’t plastic surgery crazy lipstick application..)
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Overall rating
🔪 (1 Knife)
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*Photo Credit: © 2019 Lifetime
Please buy me a coffee (or glass of 🍷 ) Support Lifetime Uncorked by leaving a $3 tip.
Thank you for the synopsis I wasn’t sure if I should watch the movie and found it difficult to find the whole movie layout online except for you!! I appreciate it as I don’t think I will watch it but I’m glad I know what happens etc
I would skip this one for sure!
Thank you this movie was so damn cheesy I couldn’t finish it but I wanted to know the ending!!
Hawaii is not another Country.