A Daughter's Nightmare (2014)

Just perfect...

Good concept, poorly executed.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Ariel (Emily Osment) loses her father and her mother Dana (Victoria Pratt) is struggling. At college, Ariel is befriended by Ben (Gregg Sulkin) who seems to be an obsessive volatile stalker. Dana is befriended by Ben's stepfather Adam (Paul Johansson) who seems to be a nice guy at the widowers' support group. Cameron (Richard Karn) is the brother of Dana's late husband Jack. Ariel is suspicious of Adam as he gets closer to her mother.This is a perfectly Lifey Lifetime movie. There are women in danger and scary threats are lurking behind every male character. It's all very lifeless with a tired tension running through the movie. There is a nice misdirection throughout but the movie does not take advantage of it. It should be ramping up to a great action thriller but it flatlines into bland TV movie of the week.

This is definitely one of the best lifetime movies I have ever seen. The basic plot is about a teenage girl, Ariel (played by Emily Osment), whose life is turned upside down by her mother's new boyfriend poisoning her mother with wellness tea. Most Lifetime movies star third-rate actors, poor editing and a bad script. This definitely follows the lifetime formula however, Paul Johansson really makes this movie great. Unlike most Lifetime actors, Johansson is able to act as a believable boyfriend while being the perfect amount of creepy. The concept of wellness tea also makes this movie better than others. This is one of the most unusual ways of death that I have ever seen in a lifetime movie. A Daughter's Nightmare is my family's favorite movie and definitely worth watching.

In a mournful opening scene, pretty blonde daughter Emily Osment (as Ariel Morgan) and likewise pretty blonde mom Victoria Pratt (as Dana) attend the funeral of their father and husband. Nearby, recent widower Paul Johansson (as Adam Smith) places flowers on his wife's grave. He has recently moved from Seattle into the neighborhood, with handsome stepson Gregg Sulkin (as Ben Woods). The younger man has bountiful lips and mismatched socks, which are noticed by Ms. Osment. They attend the same college. The sock notice given to Mr. Sulkin is one in a pattern of oddities which provide the most intrigue in this otherwise routine TV movie. You do get the feeling writer Shelley Gillen and director Vic Sarin are trying to make it interesting...Another highlight is the color photography, also credited to Mr. Sarin. The attractive leading players are given good support, especially by veterinarian Richard Karn (as Cameron Morgan). The keenly observant neighbor kid, young Jaden Rain (as Brooks) seems to have some ties with the whole "A (family member)'s Nightmare" series, from Sarin and company. Alas, this story's weakness is difficult to overcome – the characters often lapse into amnesia. They don't seem to catch on to events, from scene to scene. Most irritating example of this is the Dixie Chicks "birthday concert" segment, which should have revealed something serious was amiss. Good thing mother and daughter don't investigate the mix-up, or we might have only half a movie.***** A Daughter's Nightmare (5/3/14) Vic Sarin ~ Emily Osment, Victoria Pratt, Paul Johansson, Gregg Sulkin

A recently widowed woman meets up with a recent widower and soon becomes ill. What's going on here? The guy seems to be a complete lunatic feeding her his magic herbal tea to make her better.They met due to her daughter meeting his stepson who is slowly being poisoned by the stepfather. The stepfather never raises his voice and is a male nurse to the bargain.He continues to wreak havoc in the woman's life and causes trouble so that he can be left alone with the woman and continue his actions.The acting is good here but plot leaves a lot to be desired.By the way, this lunatic had been married before and you know how those nuptials ended. Of course, it is shown that his father was apparently doing the same exact thing to his mother.