Lifetime’s Trapped in the Cabin: Is it Based on a Real-Life Story of a Novelist?

Lifetime’s ‘Trapped in the Cabin’ is a thriller film that centers upon a romance novelist named Rebecca Collins, who is currently devoid of any inspiration to be done with her current book. To let her find some inspiration, her editor sends her away from the hustle and bustle of the city to a remote yet cozy cabin. When Rebecca arrives there, she finds an issue with the hot water and reaches out to a local handyman named Nathan, after which they get involved romantically.

Just when things start getting steamy and intense between the two, Rebecca notices that Nathan is missing, the doors are left ajar, and someone has been going through her unfinished draft. When she finds some more items in the cabin out of place, she feels that someone is watching her. Directed by Derek Sulek, the Lifetime movie involves several true-to-life themes and elements, including entrapment inside a remote cabin, which is not unheard of in real life. So, it is natural for you to ask whether or not ‘Trapped in the Cabin’ is rooted in true events. In that case, allow us to get rid of your curiosity!

Trapped in the Cabin is an Original Screenplay

‘Trapped in the Cabin’ is not based on a true story. However, credit where it’s due, the two screenwriters — Eric Durham and Derek Sulek — collaborated and combined their experience in the industry, skilled penmanship, and creative minds to conjure up the thrilling yet seemingly realistic screenplay for the Lifetime movie. They supposedly took inspiration from similar real-life remote cabin incidents that they might have come across.

After all, such dangerous situations and incidents in remote cabins are not something unheard of in real life. Take the example of the late July 2023 case of a 12-year-old girl who got shot while staying at a remote cabin on Burntwood Lake in Manitoba. She was quickly taken to a hospital with severe injuries while the authorities searched for the perpetrator.

Another reason many of you might find the themes and elements of the film realistic and familiar is that they have been explored in numerous movies and TV shows over the years, including ‘Knock at the Cabin,’ ‘The Strangers,’ and ‘Vacancy.’ Nevertheless, one of the aptest examples has to be that of the 2016 slasher movie ‘Hush.’ The Mike Flanagan directorial features compelling performances from a talented ensemble cast comprising Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan, and Emilia “Emma” Graves.

Much like Rebecca in ‘Trapped in the Cabin,’ Maddie in ‘Hush’ is a writer who retreats to the woods to lead a solitary life and work in peace. The only difference is that she is a horror author who lost her ability to hear and speak after contracting bacterial meningitis at age 13. Yet, Maddie is forced to fight for her life in silence when a masked murderer stalks to kill her in the cabin.

Thus, ‘Trapped in the Cabin’ and ‘Hush’ have several similarities, including that the protagonists of both films are writers getting stalked by an unknown killer. Keeping the factors mentioned above in mind, we can conclude that despite consisting of some true-to-life subject elements, the fact that ‘Trapped in the Cabin’ is fictional doesn’t change.

Read More: Where Was Lifetime’s Trapped in the Cabin Filmed? Who is in the Cast?

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