A Daughter's Nightmare (2014) Emily Osment, Paul Johansson, Victoria Pratt, Gregg Sulkin, Richard Karn, Jaden Rain, Eric Breker, Gabriela Zimmerman Movie Review

A Daughter's Nightmare (2014)   3/53/53/53/53/5


A Daughter's Nightmare (2014)

Johannson Falls for a Pratt

When her husband died it hit Dana (Victoria Pratt - Soda Springs) hard as she struggled with depression and could barely leave her home, unlike her daughter, Ariel (Emily Osment), who decided to get back on with things and returned to college. It is at college that Ariel meets Ben (Gregg Sulkin) along with his stepfather, Adam (Paul Johansson - Mind Games). And it is Adam who Dana meets when she attends a support group and finds herself becoming close to him as he mentions that his wife died within the last year. But some thing doesn't ring right about Adam with both Ariel and her uncle Cameron (Richard Karn - Christmas in Mississippi) wary of him. With Dana not seeming to get better and becoming increasingly isolated Ariel becomes really concerned when one day her mother goes missing.

For me "A Daughter's Nightmare" features two of my favourite TV movie stars; Paul Johansson and Victoria Pratt. Johansson is great at playing tall, dark, handsome with a dark side whilst Victoria Pratt is attractive but in a grown up girl next door kind of way. And it is their appeal, alongside the likeable nature of Richard Karn, which not only draws you in to "A Daughter's Nightmare" but it keeps you watching. Don't mistake that as saying their characters are good because they are not, these are your typical flawed TV movie characters but at least the actors work for their parts.

Unfortunately when it comes to the storyline that is another matter as sadly something went wrong with "A Daughter's Nightmare". It is simple enough; the darkly secretive Adam worms his way in to the life of the vulnerable Dana whilst her daughter Ariel, away at college, becomes concerned as does Dana's brother-in-law. Eventually something has to happen and this case Dana goes missing and Ariel goes looking. The trouble is that it is all kind of too obvious and going through the motions which mean you are not really drawn in to what is going on or what is going to happen. About the only thing which keeps you intrigued is motive as you try and work out why Adam is the way he is.

What this all boils down to is that sadly "A Daughter's Nightmare" just doesn't quite spark in to life and ends up a thriller which feels like it is going through the motions with just the appeal of the actors and a question of motive keeping you watching.


LATEST REVIEWS