Murder, Lies and Marriage (2025 Lifetime Movie)
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Cast: Kelly Sullivan, Alex Trumble, Nadia Adelay, Jess Matney
Director: Bruno Hernández
Writer(s): Michael Perronne
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
After mistakenly being imprisoned five long years for a murder she didn’t commit, Nicole is released from prison and immediately tries to reconnect with her now twelve-year-old daughter, Sarah, who she never saw while in prison. Her ex-husband, Jack, is dating former model Gwen, who has closely bonded with Sarah. Nicole begins to suspect that Jack may have been behind the crime for which she’d been blamed and that both her daughter and Jack’s new girlfriend may be in danger.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
The movie begins with a couple of maybe Boston teens, Todd and Misty, making out. The mood is ruined by finding a dead body!
Cut to Nicole, whose husband, Jack’s cousin, Connor, was the dead body. Jack and her mother Malory, insist Nicole stay and accept Connor’s award on his behalf. Nicole wants to go home and check on her daughter, but she is suddenly arrested for Connor’s murder and dragged out in handcuffs and an evening gown. Her mother and husband call out to her halfheartedly.
Five Years Later, Nicole is out of jail and on parole. Her mother and police Detective Hawthorn greet her. He explains that Nicole was released from jail early due to new video surveillance that provided her a solid alibi. Nicole wonders who planted her DNA at the crime scene and just wants to see her daughter, Sarah. Her husband and daughter are nowhere to be seen.
Jack has moved on and is dating a new girlfriend named Gwen, who is happy to play the role of mommy. Gwen isn’t an evil stepmother, tho; she worries about Sarah re-meeting her mother. (Since Jack has had full custody of Sarah and hasn’t visited Nicole in jail.) Jack reassures Gwen that he loves her and that things with Nicole will work out. Their conversation is interrupted by a shady character named Rick, who absolutely killed Connor.
Nicole isn’t handling being out of jail well. She is upset at the lost time and angry with the situation she has found herself in. She just wants to see Sarah, but Sarah hardly remembers her mother. Jack explains to Sarah that his mother is innocent and it’s okay to be nervous about meeting her again. Sarah just doesn’t want to end up a killer. (Which is a total middle schooler way of thinking.)
Nicole receives a letter stating that someone in her life knows more than they are letting on. This is interesting timing because the murder case is officially reopened. Nicole shows the note to her mother and Detective Hawthorne. They tell Nicole not to get too worked up over anything. A car also follows Nicole around town. (It’s like, hello, she was locked up in prison. Let the woman have a freakout.)
At their first meeting, Nicole and Jack are tense. Nicole asks Jack why he kept Sarah away from her. Nicole gave Jack full custody, a divorce, and half of the business, and he didn’t visit her in jail once. (YIKES!) Jack says he feels terrible, but his actions don’t show that. He doesn’t seem to want Nicole to establish a relationship with her daughter. Jack also warns Gwen that he doesn’t trust Nicole anymore.
The meeting with Sarah herself goes better and they exchange numbers like girlfriends. Gwen tries to connect with Nicole, and Gwen shares she is worried that Connor’s murder is still unsolved. Gwen has a bad feeling about her husband’s business associate, Rick. Gwen searches through Jack’s laptop while he goes for a run, AKA a meeting with Rick.
Out of NOWHERE, Connor’s ex-wife, Kristen, shows up and wants to have lunch with Nicole. (Like, she pulls up in her car and is like “I’m going to get you, BITCH!” It’s hilarious.) Kristen says that Gwen had an affair with Connor and she thinks it is weird that Jack is dating her now. Nicole agrees that is weird! Kristen doesn’t live long and is murdered in the next scene by Rick.
Next, we see Gwen meeting Rick in an alley and giving him an envelope of cash. (So something shady IS going on.)
Nicole confronts Jack about Gwen breaking up Connor and Natalie’s marriage. Jack doesn’t take it well when Nicole tells him that Sarah shouldn’t be spending time around Gwen, and he threatens to take custody of Nicole forever.
Through a flashback, we see that Connor was trying to break it off with Gwen at the time he died. Conner also learned that Jack was stealing from the company to pay off a loan shark.
Gwen drinks some wine to settle her nerves, and she calls Nicole to tell her the truth. Nicole agrees to meet, and they set up a time and place. Jack comes home unexpectedly, and Gwen confronts him and all but accuses him of killing Connor. (Well, eventually, she stupidly does accuse him.) It sets him off, and Jack loses it and strangles her to death. (Never accuse a murderer of murdering. Simple Lifetime rules!)
Nicole leaves to meet with Gwen, and when she doesn’t show up, Nicole stops by the house. Jack is mid-covering up his murder and knocks Nicole out to keep her from discovering the body. Jack locks Nicole in the basement, and she realizes that Jack killed Connor and set her up.
As Jack talks through his plans and how they went awry, we see the murder in a flashback. (We get to see more of Colton Tapp, so I’m not mad.) Then Jack pulls out a gun and screams at her to call Detective Hawthorne to reschedule her appointment because her mom is sick. The Detective is super chill about it and doesn’t even notice something is wrong.
Sarah comes home early from her slumber party and really wrecks his plans. Sarah asks where Gwen is because her car is in the driveway. Jack tells his daughter to pack a bag because they are going on a surprise vacation.
Mallory has a bad feeling when Nicole doesn’t come home from her meeting with Gwen. She is worried about her daughter. When he asks how she is feeling and learns Mallory isn’t sick, Detective Hawthorn meanders into action.
Nicole hears Sarah in the house and jiggles the doorknob. The mother and daughter talk through the door. Nicole begs Sarah to unlock the door and NOT tell her dad. Sarah rushes to let her mother out of the basement.
Jack packs a bag and doesn’t hear the conversation. Nicole tells Sarah to come with her. When it is clear they won’t be able to escape, Nicole tells Sarah to hide while she grabs a lead pipe to defend herself.
Nicole tries to convince Jack that they can start over, but she is just stalling for time. The former married couple struggle over the gun as the police pull up. The gun goes off and Nicole shoots Jack dead.
The movie ends abruptly. The end.
STRAY Thoughts
This script was too much recapping of conversations that we had just witnessed with other characters. I think Nicole had the conversation about Gwen and Conner’s affair with Natalie, Jack, AND her mother.
Overall rating
Number of Kills: 🔪🔪🔪 (3 knives)
Lifetime Tropes: Framed for Murder, Bad Husband, Notes, Wine, Long Lost Daughter,
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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