The Replacement Daughter (2024 Lifetime)
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Cast: Stacy Haiduk, Emily Miceli, Kristi Murdock
Director: Bruno Hernández
Writer: Michael Perronne
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
Haiduk stars as Eva, a wealthy woman who steps in and offers to look after Jessica, a teenage girl whose mother was struck by a hit-and-run driver. As she slowly finds herself seduced by this new world, Jessica slowly begins to realize nothing is as it seems and its up to her to figure out how to save both herself and her mother.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
High schoolers/BFFs Jessica and Vanessa are “totally fantastic” but stress over getting into the college of their dreams. Jessica’s mom owns a nail salon, and Vanessa’s mom is a ho. (Or she has a lot of “boyfriends.”
While they walk home, Jessica notices a black car following her. She shows Vanessa, and they are creeped out.
Meanwhile, Jessica’s mom, Liza, with a Z, is arguing with the landlord about the lease for her salon. He wants to build condos on the property. A cafe down the street was robbed recently, and Liza needs to get her security camera replaced, but money is tight.
As they close the store for the night, Jessica notices the same black car running over her mother in the street while taking a selfie. Liza (with a Z) ends up in the hospital in a coma. The doctor tells Jessica that if her mother stays in a coma for more than a month, there is a 90% chance she won’t ever wake up. (RUDE! It has been less than 24hrs.)
Detectives question Jessica about the hit-and-run, and word gets out about the accident. A wealthy client named Eva stops by to check on Liza (with a Z) and offers to take Jessica to dinner. (This really offends Jessica’s temporary guardian Helen.)
While Eva and Jessica enjoy a nosh at a cafe, Helen cleans the salon. Helen hears a car alarm and goes out into the dimly lit parking lot to investigate. A masked man follows her and hits her with a crowbar.
Eva pulls some strings and talks to the university president of Jessica’s dreams. Jessica is thrilled, but that is short-lived when she finds Helen’s body in the parking lot. Eva joins Jessica at the police station and offers to be Jessica’s guardian when the social worker wants to put Jessica into foster care. (Eva conveniently already applied to be a foster parent two months ago when her daughter left for college.)
Back at school, a cutie named Shane checks with Vanessa to see if Jessica is okay. Vanessa asks him if he has a crush, and he denies it.
Jessica joins Eva at her estate and is surprised to learn Shane and his father work for Eve and live on the property. The home is larger but mostly empty since Eve’s daughter is taking a gap year and traveling abroad. Jessica’s main concern is being by her mother’s bedside at the hospital, and she asks repeatedly to go but is ignored.
Unluckily for Liza (with a Z), the masked man dresses up as a nurse and sneaks into the hospital to inject a lethal dose of something into her IV. The doctor catches the masked man and fights him off. Eva and Jessica tell the detective that the landlord has a motive for taking out Liza (with a Z.)
The landlord’s car has a messed-up front bumper, and when detectives try to talk to him, he fights them and tries to make a run for it. (Which seems suspicious!) The detective finds insulin and needles on him that match the ones found at the hospital, and the landlord is arrested for attempted murder and hit and run.
Shane comes to Jessica’s room with a warning. Eva doesn’t let him into the house, but he snuck in once and saw a photo of Eva’s daughter, who looks like Jessica. There is also a locked room with teenagers’ stuff inside. Eva catches Jessica and tells her that the room belonged to her daughter Sarah. (Who died of cancer.) Eva claims that Jessica and Sarah were twin sisters. Jessica is confused AF.
Jessica and Eva have a bonding montage. They go bowling, eat ice cream sundaes, and listen to music. Everything is all good!
Vanessa is in shock when Jessica fills her in on the family drama. Shane is more skeptical and asks Vanessa a lot of questions. He doesn’t trust his boss. Liza (with a Z) remains in a coma.
Eva works with her house manager to keep the rouse going. Everything is an elaborate lie that Eva has concocted to have the perfect daughter.
Jessica’s cell phone went missing from the house, and she hadn’t heard from the hospital in days. Eva assures Jessica that she talked with the hospital and everything is fine. While working on a school project with Vanessa, Jessica searches for a computer charger for Eva’s things. Jessica finds the passports of Debora Rae (Eva) and one with a picture of herself. Jessica confronts Eva and accuses her of manipulating things. She demands to leave and calls Eva insane. The house manager chloroforms Jessica before she causes too much of a scene.
Vanessa worries when Jessica doesn’t show up at school or return her messages. Jessica is in on a dirty mattress locked in the attic.
Eva talks to Shane’s father, Tony, who has been helping Eva to pay off his gambling debt. Tony was the one who attacked Liza (with a Z), killed Helen, and broke into the hospital. Tony packs up his stuff, and Shane worries about what will happen to Jessica. (Who is still locked in the attic.)
Jessica and Eva talk through the door, and Eva feels like Jessica owes her something. Jessica just shouts, “I’m NOT your daughter,” over and over until Eva gets annoyed and leaves.
Eva kills the house manager lady after she says she wants to leave Jessica and stop the lies.
Eva visits Liza (With a Z) to ward off suspicion and assures Vanessa that Jessica is fine but has a cold and can’t come to the hospital. Vanessa tells the detective that something is off. The detective isn’t concerned because they have the landlord in custody, and Eva is an upstanding citizen.
Tony sneaks into the house to steal some valuables, but Eva catches him and stabs him to death. RIP! Eva calls for her private Jet and tries to get Jessica to accompany her. (Eva also has a syringe with her, just in case!) Jessica gets Eva talking about her daughter Sarah, and Eva gets emotional. Jessica is the replacement daughter!
With his father missing, Shane breaks into the main house and is surprised that Vanessa is up to the same thing. They sneak through the back entrance. They hear Jessica banging from the attic and make their way upstairs.
Eva opens the door and calmly approaches Jessica with a syringe. Jessica stabs Eva with a piece of wood like a vampire. “You’re not my mother, you Bitch!” They struggle, and Jessica syringes Eva in the neck. Shane and Vanessa call the police.
Eva ends up in the psych ward with chipped blue nail polish. The plucky young medical student looks just like Sarah, too bad for her.
Back at the hospital, Jessica and Vanessa are thrilled when Liza (with a Z) wakes up! They have a lot to catch her up on.
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
The Shane character was wholly unnecessary and the movie didn’t even deal with him learning that his father was murdered, which seems like a missed opportunity.
Kristi Murdock being in a coma the whole movie was such a letdown! More of her please!
Overall rating
Numbers of Kills: 🔪🔪🔪 (3 knives)
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 Glasses of Wine)
Should you watch it?
Pour it up! (Give it a shot)
Put a Cork in It (Skip It)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media @LifetimeUncorked & @patrickmiguel
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*Photo Credit: © 2024 Lifetime® | A+E Networks®
“Jessica stabs Eva with a piece of wood like a vampire. “You’re not my mother, you Bitch!”” That’s a problem with watching these on British daytime TV – they cut these things out…
You accidentally listed this as a 2023 movie!! You put the date April 20, 2023