Prerna Singh
Emma is a lucky recipient of a new heart as she has to undergo a transplant. When she tries to find out more about the person who donated their heart, Emma is surprised upon learning that it is her estranged cousin. But something does not add up. What if that cousin did not die accidentally? Lifetime likes to draw upon incidents from real-life events and dramatize them into their films. ‘Pretty Little Dead Girl’ is another thriller from the network. If you are wondering whether or not this film is based on a true event, we’re here to settle those doubts. Before we do that, let us briefly share what the film is about!
What is Pretty Little Dead Girl About?
Sharon and Garrett break down when they hear that their daughter, Emma, needs to undergo a heart transplant. Constance is their niece who comes to talk to Sharon since she is going through some serious troubles. While the two ladies are talking in the car, Sharon is hit by the realization that Constance would be a good match as a donor for Emma. She drugs Constance and leaves her in the car with the engine on, ultimately killing her.
Is Pretty Little Dead Girl Based on a True Story?
No, ‘Pretty Little Dead Girl’ is not based on a true story. This film’s script is written by Conor Allyn, who includes several relatable elements from our lives in the film. As Sharon gets arrested, we know that she really means it when she says, “I’m so sorry. I’d do anything for you. I’d die for you. I’d kill for you.” Sharon continues to justify herself, saying that even before Constance made a mess of her life, she knew what her only option was.
A person who commits a crime, most of the time, has a reason. Films often show the backstory of a villain, which they use as an “excuse” to justify their actions; this is called a Freudian Excuse. We have experienced Freudian Excuse in movies and real life. In several cases, sexual assault perpetrators turn out to be victims of child sexual abuse, or serial killers start killing seemingly similar people who remind them of an old lover/family member who destroyed their lives.
The list is endless. But Freudian Excuse has proven to be an effective mechanism in films and books that invoke sympathy as it humanizes a villain. Of course, this blurs ethical lines because we do not know if they need help or need to be punished for what they have done. However, a Freudian Excuse is no excuse for committing a crime.
Sharon’s strong instinct to save her daughter is natural for a mother but killing someone else’s child also shows that she does not value human life as a whole and ends up prioritizing one life over the other. It also does not change the fact that killing someone for their body parts is considered a crime universally. Organ donors are hard to come by, and people who require a transplant have to wait a long time before receiving the required organ.
Many times people lose their lives as they fail to receive one. So it is understandable why Sharon and Garrett would be distraught. People continue to live after donating a kidney, but donating a heart would mean that they must have died under very specific circumstances. There are inspiring stories about organ donation which have been made into films, such as ‘2 Hearts.’ However, in this film, Constance is not a donor. She is a victim of murder. A 1994 report by Human Rights Watch/Asia stated that executed prisoners are the “principal source” of supply for organ transplants in China.
Although some might argue that there is no harm if a departed life can help another person live a longer and healthier life, there is a vast grey area in a scenario like this. A rising number of death penalties and the country’s transplant program have often raised questions. This film touches upon authentic experiences involving the fact that not all organ donations may have been received ethically and pegs it around Sharon’s fierce maternal instinct. One can imagine why someone would see reflections of real-life events, but the storyline of ‘Pretty Little Dead Girl’ is indeed fictional.
Read More: Where Was Pretty Little Dead Girl Filmed?
