Dipaly Banerjee
Lifetime’s ‘Newlywed Nightmare’ is a thriller movie that centers on Lauren and David, a newlywed couple who encounter their greatest nightmare on their honeymoon night. As the couple is on their honeymoon, Lauren mysteriously disappears. The police believe she voluntarily left her husband since the security video shows her going with another man and confirms that David’s bank account has been emptied. However, he is convinced that Lauren was abducted since she would never leave him in such a way. Detective Gina assists David in his search for his missing wife.
Meanwhile, Lauren’s captors force her to engage in money laundering. She quickly finds out that Sadie, David’s ex-wife, is one of the kidnappers, and it becomes clear that much more is going on than just money. The Stacia Crawford directorial debut features impressive onscreen performances from talented actors like Stacia Crawford, Yoshi Sudarso, Olivia Jordan, and Catherine Dyer. Besides, the realistic themes of a crazy ex and abduction for revenge are predominant throughout the Lifetime movie, which is bound to make the viewers ask — is ‘Newlywed Nightmare’ based on actual events? Well, let’s explore the same and find out, shall we?
Newlywed Nightmare is a Work of Fiction
No, ‘Newlywed Nightmare’ is not based on a true story. Instead, the thrilling storyline can be credited to the skills of the writer Melissa Archer, who has also worked on ‘Betrayed by My Bridesmaid’ and ‘Twisted Little Lies.’ Thanks to her experience in the industry and brilliant writing prowess, Melissa could craft a realistic yet engaging screenplay for the Lifetime film. We all have heard about abduction cases in the real world, one of the primary subjects the movie sheds light upon.
Thus, it is natural for many of you to wonder whether it is actually rooted in reality. Moreover, another reason you might find these themes relating to revenge and abduction by an ex-partner not seem fictional is that the idea of an obsessive ex seeking revenge on their ex-lover’s new sweetheart is more common than one might think. Though the plotline may feel exaggerated, the film’s core theme is not simply abduction, deception, and money laundering.
When read between the lines, the movie’s story explores the borderline obsession with an ex-partner where stalking and obsession are deemed normal. When people with untreated mental illness fall in love, many times, even after a relationship ends, it becomes hard for them to let go of their partner, and seeing them with new people affects their everyday life, and they tend to get violent.
In the film, Sadie seeks revenge on her former husband, David, by ruining his honeymoon, abducting his new wife, and emptying his bank account. She also goes beyond normal by forcing Lauren to engage in illegal money laundering. Nevertheless, the movie explores true-to-life concepts but is filled with dramatic elements for entertainment. Considering all the factors mentioned above, it would be fair to say that despite the inclusion of familiar and realistic themes in ‘Newlywed Nightmare,’ the Lifetime film is not rooted in reality and is a fictional tale.
