Nightmare in the Desert (2024 Lifetime)
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Cast: Gia De Sauvage, Allen Williamson, Tristan J. Watson, Kyla Nova
Director: Sam Irvin
Writer(s): Richard Pierce
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
After returning to her childhood home outside Joshua Tree National Park, an outdoor enthusiast and her urbanite boyfriend are secretly tracked through the desert by a mysterious figure hellbent on preventing the boyfriendās surprise proposalāeven if it means murder. Stars Gia De Sauvage, Allen Williamson, and Tristan Watson (2024).
Recap/Wine Thoughts
A woman named Shae, who wears a high ponytail, hides in the desert from someone calling her name. The man grabs her around the neck, and the movie cuts to the title card.
36 hours earlier, Shae brought her boyfriend to meet an old family friend and park ranger, Larry. While in the area to list her childhood home for sale, Shae wants to take Chris to all the desert hiking spots. Shae’s father recently passed away. Larry advises her not to sell. (Shae needs the money because she has a baby on the way!)
Chris worries that Shae’s father wouldn’t have approved of him. He rudely reads Shae’s diary. He becomes jealous of an ex-boyfriend named Burke. Chris sneaks out in the middle of the night. He gets into a mysterious car.
Next, we see a twink and a redhead, the most dangerous combination, being busted by Burke. He is all grown up and a park ranger. Larry drives by and fills Burke in on Shae’s new guy and the proposal he is planning on their hike. Burke still has some feelings because he keeps a picture of him and Shae IN HIS CAR DASH!?!? (He also hates tourists coming to Joshua Tree, which is why he is employed as a park ranger, right?) He talks to Shae and Chris, but they brush him off. Shae is not feeling Burke at ALL.
Burke follows the couple to watch the proposal. He sees someone tracking them. The woman’s name is Rachel. She is helping Chris capture the proposal. However, she loses the engagement ring! Burke calls in the ring as missing. Rachel suspects that Burke took it from the bench where they would do the proposal.
When Rachel sees photos on her camera that incriminate Burke, she confronts the park ranger. Things get physical, and Chris gets in one good punch before careening over a cliff and dying. (Full on splat position!) Burke chases Rachel and SHOOTS HER DEAD?!?!?!
Burke steals her car keys and phone and puts the stolen engagement ring on her finger. He does the same thing with Chris and leaves them both for dead.
Meanwhile, Shae is sitting on the bench waiting. She hears the gunshot and goes looking around for Chris. Burke reassures Shae that everything will be fine, and she sits down again while he “searches.’ Burke sends messages between Chris and Rachel to make it look like they are having an affair.
Shae searches from high ground and starts following tracks. She lists all the dangers Chris could face, and Burke tells her to calm down and assures Chris that he will turn up. Next, they return to the house so Shae can shower, and Burke watches her like a creep. (He also goes through her diary and finds the sonogram pics.)
CHRIS might turn up because he is alive and wandering the desert. He comes across a rattlesnake and, probably more troubling, Larry’s house. Rachel is up and at ’em, too; she screams for help while covering her bullet wound.
Larry is obsessed with two things, steak and who Shae will marry. Larry promised Shae’s dad that he wouldn’t let her marry anyone who didn’t deserve her. Burke and Shae stop by for dinner. When Larry gets hip to what Burke has done, Burke pistol whips Larry. He leaves the stove on to make it look like a gas leak.
The Twink and the Redhead help Burke cover up his crimes and extort him for all his cash. (I told you they were trouble.) Shae witnesses their meeting and steals her car back.
Chris finds Larry and drags him out of the carbon-monoxide house, earning Larry’s respect and trust. Meanwhile, Rachel finds a first-aid kit and shoots off a flare.
She finds Rachel and is a TOTAL bitch to her, hahaha! (Absolutely ridiculous of Shae to be jealous at this moment.) Rachel is shocked but explains what happened with the park ranger. She gives the ring back, and all is forgiven. They high-tail it out of the flare area before Burke can find him, but he isn’t far off.
We are back at the beginning of the movie. Rachel hides as Shae runs from Burke, who is calling her name. Burke tells Shae he knows about the baby and promises that he can take care of it. Shae doesn’t want to go back to the past, and Burke can’t wrap his mind around it. Shae and Burke lost a baby when they were young. The miscarriage ended the relationship.
A car pulls up, and it is Chris. Burke tells him that vehicles aren’t allowed in that area of the park, and he will need to issue a citation. Chris runs his ass over, hahah.
Chris finally proposes, and Shae tells him about the baby; they embrace and are interrupted by Rachel, who is Chris’ student intern?!?! She needs to go to the hospital!
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
The three storylines cycles helped the pacing of this movie. Also, the reveal of motive had enough emotional weight to make it land.
Overall rating
Number of Kills: šŖĀ (1 knife)
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
š·š·š·š· (4 Glasses of Wine)
Should you watch it?
Pour it Up (Give it a shot!)
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: Ā© 2024 A&E Television Networks, LLC
