Vanished in Death Valley (2025 Lifetime Movie)
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Cast: Aryè Campos, Matthew Pohlkamp, Katherine Joan Taylor
Director: Kaila York
Writer(s): Dane K. Braun, Thomas Dolan-Gavitt
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
A teenage girl goes missing when her family’s car breaks down in Death Valley and her parents will need to make unlikely allies if they are to find their daughter before she disappears forever. Starring Aryè Campos, Katherine Joan Taylor, and Matthew Pohlkamp (2025).
Let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments below or @lifetimeuncorked
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Inspired by Actual Events
Teenage Dani goes hiking with her parents and argues with her mother. The park ranger’s father sends his wife and daughter to hike in Death Valley to work out their differences. The hike doesn’t straighten things out because Dani has a major attitude and tells her mom she hates her. The mother leaves Dani to walk back by herself, and Dani ends up in a chemical cave. (Or something!)
Cut to another family with the same dynamic. The teenager here, Hope, is more winy than defiant like Dani. Kayla and her husband Alan shut down their daughter’s moodiness about moving cross country because it is for a vast work opportunity. Alan isn’t on board with the job change either, so Kayla tries to make the trip fun and pulls off in Death Valley.
The worker at the gift shop is Dani’s mother, Lydia. She immediately fixates on Hope and almost pets her hair. When Hope and Kayla argue over a shot glass, Lydia sides with Hope and sneaks her the shot glass. Lydia asks her husband Eli to help her kidnap Hope to replace Dani. At first, Eli hesitates, but he agrees to tamper with their car.
The family is stranded on the side of the road, and Hope is super annoyed. She demands to return to the convenience store and annoys her mother so much that she lets her go alone. Hope makes it to the convenience store, but Eli pulls in and tries to kidnap her so obviously. Hope drops her bracelet as a clue for her parents.
Hope wakes up, and Eli has her tied up. Lydia explains that she is saving Hope for her evil mother. Hope just wants to go home.
Back at the car, Alan notices some pretty obvious tampering. Kayla becomes worried and sees the location on Hope’s phone is off. They ask the tow truck driver to take them to the police and report her missing. The Sheriff helps them look for Hope. He realizes he may have an abduction on his hands. This realization comes when they find Hope’s phone in the desert.
The tow truck driver sympathizes with Alan and Kayla. She offers to talk to the town mechanic because he is her son-in-law. They check into a motel and wait to hear from the police. Alan sneaks into the auto shop and sees a picture of Dani with her parents. He almost gets caught but finds Hope tied up in a room. As he tries to free her, Eli knocks him out.
Lydia lures Kayla from her hotel room by creating a story about Hope running off with some teenagers. She is too aggressive and spooks Kayla. Then Lydia pulls a knife out and goes berserk on Kayla. Kayla makes it out of her hotel room and screams for help. She flags over the tow truck driver and rushes to safety. (Or is it?)
Alan wakes up in the cave where Dani died, and Eli plans to leave him there. Hope is there, too, with Lydia, but she manages to escape into Death Valley. (Which isn’t necessary and upgrade dangerwise.) Kayla tracks down her family but is promptly tied up, too.
Hope screams for help. During an anger outburst, Lydia throws her over a small ledge. This happens when Hope breaks the shot glass. Lydia tells Hope to listen to her mother. Then Kayla comes running to save her daughter. There is a tug-of-war over Hope, and somehow Eli goes careening his death. (Oh wait, he survives!)
If Lydia can’t have Hope, no one can. She lights a stick of dynamite and says it will all be over instantly. The family talks Lydia out of it and tells her everyone deserves a second chance.
The family packs their bags and continues on their journey. Hope tells her mom she ain’t all that bad!
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
Did Lydia and the Tow Truck Driver ever hash it out? Did I miss that?
We can all agree teenagers are the worst, right?
Overall rating
Number of Kills: 🔪 (1 knife)
Lifetime Tropes: Kidnapping. Mother/Daughter relationships, Mommy Dearest, tampering with a motor vehicle.
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷🍷 (2 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 at @LifetimeUncorked and @patrickmiguel.
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