Lifetime Review: 'Nightmare Tenant'

With her daughter Lacey (Heather Hopkins) having just left home for Vanderton University, Dr. Carol Allen (Lauralee Bell) finds herself struggling to adapt to her new "empty nest." On her daughter's advice, Carol decides to rent out her spare bedroom to a tenant, and encounters the ideal choice at work: Melissa Winters, a young local woman who has found herself alone for the first time and unable to find a job or place to stay. Touched by Melissa's story, Carol happily allows her to move in.

But unbeknownst to Carol, "Melissa" is really Nikki Stone (Virginia Tucker), a high school classmate of Lacey's who also applied to the exclusive Vanderton. Despite Nikki's strong dedication to her studies, she found herself rejected from the school, leaving her estranged from her disappointed father. After learning that Lacey was accepted and that she was considered a legacy applicant due to her mother being a Vanderton alum, Nikki became convinced Lacey and Carol stole her future from her and plotted to destroy them. Now, having charmed her way into Carol's life, Nikki will stop at nothing to get her revenge...

With the recent college admissions scandal becoming breaking news, Nightmare Tenant is something of a timely Lifetime premiere. While the film doesn't focus on events related to the scandal, Nightmare Tenant still finds a way to bring on the drama and mayhem. A young woman integrating herself into a woman's life to take revenge has been done time and again by Lifetime, but Nightmare Tenant sets itself apart from similar films by playing it for all the drama—a tactic that is sure to leave Lifetime's more harden fans (and even newcomers) jonesing for more.

This level of high-octane drama is largely provided by Virginia Tucker in her role of ambitious student turned vengeful psychopath Nikki Stone. After an opening that has us seeing Nikki as a hard working and emotionally vulnerable girl, we quickly see her villainous transformation after her dreams of attending the prestigious Vanderton are crushed. This quick transition may be implausible in regards to plot and character development, but Tucker plays it with such a sense of deranged strength that the film can be forgiven for this suspension of disbelief.

And Tucker's performance only rises from there, and is on prominent display once Nikki weasels her way into Carol's home. From the look of unbridled disdain that crosses her face whenever she sees evidence of the Allen family's good fortune and accomplishments, to the smug and conniving smirk that emerges whenever a new opportunity to wreck Carol's life presents itself to her, Tucker pulls no stops in making Nikki a memorably deranged and over-the-top villainess. She also delivers moments of emotional depth that delve into what drove Nikki to snap the way she did, allowing Nightmare Tenant's antagonist to remain grounded amidst her boundless moments of lunacy.

Meanwhile, the cast surrounding Tucker play well off of her and are entertaining to watch in their own right, even if they're unable to match the strong dramatic vibe Tucker gives off throughout the film. Lauralee Bell makes for a good protagonist, making up for Carol's initial naivete and overly trusting nature with "Melissa" by catching on to the hints Nikki drops to her true nature fairly early on—making her wise when Nikki's diabolical games reach a new level. As something of a secondary protagonist, Heather Hopkins plays Lacey as a subversion of the stereotypes fans have come to associate with Lifetime teenage girls, allowing you to feel sympathy for her unknowingly incurring Nikki's wrath. In a rare subversion of the type of characters he usually plays for Lifetime, Jon Briddell makes for a likable portrayal as Carol's compassionate yet flawed boyfriend Tom. Darrett Sanders also does well with his brief scenes as Nikki's father Bill, giving a painfully realistic portrayal of an emotionally abusive father whose high standards for success lead his daughter down a dark path.

Bell and Briddell also bring something to the table that helps give Nightmare Tenant (for all its chaotic drama) an emotional center. As the pair find themselves charmed by Nikki, and impressed by her medical knowledge, they often comment on how Nikki could have a bright future in medicine, with Carol even suggesting Nikki apply for community college. All throughout this, however, Nikki remains hellbent on destroying Carol and Lacey's lives, showing the full extent her father's emotional abuse regarding college left on her. Even when told by several people that she has the capability to succeed, the fact that she was rejected by the only college it appears would earn her father's love leaves her ambitions and self-worth absolutely shattered—and determined to destroy the people she holds responsible. It's through these scenes where Nikki bemoans having lost both her father's approval and (from her perspective) chance at accomplishing her dream that Tucker gives Nikki emotional depth, making her an antagonist who's both fun to watch create havoc and someone who you can spare sympathy for.

Histrionic drama is something that Lifetime has (for better or worse) become a household name for, and Nightmare Tenant makes the best out of this. With a fantastic main villainess and a strong cast and story to go alongside her, this is definitely a Lifetime thriller worth several viewings.

Score: 9 out of 10 hijacked Amazon accounts.