Lifetime Review: 'Deadly Due Date'

High school reunions are usually happy occasions for people to reconnect with old friends. But for Rachel O'Donnell (Ashlynn Yennie), her class's 15-year reunion only serves to remind her of her fertility struggles. She and her husband Bill (Philip Boyd) long to be parents, but with each failed attempt, she's become more convinced it might not happen. Her insecurities are only exacerbated when she and Bill run into Claire Mathers (Ella Cannon), an old classmate who is pregnant with a baby boy. But things look up for Rachel and Bill when circumstances lead to Claire moving in with the O'Donnells and agreeing to a unique agreement: letting the couple adopt her baby once it's born.

From there, Claire makes herself at home with the O'Donnells and grows closer to her unborn baby's future parents. What Rachel and Bill don't know, however, is that their adoption agreement with Claire comes with strings. Claire has been obsessed with Bill since high school, and now that she's back in his life, all she wants is to start a family with Bill and her baby. Too bad there's no room for Rachel, as far as Claire is concerned...

Last appearing on Lifetime as a cheer coach with a traumatic past, Ella Cannon returns to the channel as a character who is the polar opposite of Ellie Oliver. Playing her first Lifetime villain, Cannon does a great job playing the deceptively psychotic Claire Mathers. She's a blast to watch whenever Claire's crazy side comes out, but Cannon also remembers to make Claire realistically unassuming. Whether she's buttering up the O'Donnells or slyly trying to seduce Bill, Cannon will have you buying that Claire is the type of obsessed lunatic capable of keeping a mask of normalcy on while she puts her scheme into motion. She's joined by several similarly adept actors (many of whom also aren't strangers to Lifetime) who bring life to their characters in some way. That and the consistent pacing keeps Deadly Due Date's recognizable obsession thriller tropes fresh.

One way the movie avoids becoming stale is how it averts a few Lifetime-familiar plot beats. While Claire's plan hinges on creating a rift between Rachel and Bill, Bill isn't so easily manipulated into turning against his wife. The couple gets into some arguments thanks to Claire's machinations, but you never get the sense that she's truly coming between them or that Bill is even entertaining the notion of "rekindling the past" with Claire. It just goes to show the strength of Rachel and Bill's marriage and the depths of Claire's delusion. Then there's the climax where Claire's pregnancy comes into play in a big way that allows the final act of Deadly Due Date to become a unique battle between Claire and Rachel. This all comes after the first two acts used the plot's adoption angle to craft an engaging story of an already emotionally vulnerable woman being set up to look like an unfit mother. My only issue with the climax is how it gets kicked off by Rachel making an inexplicably boneheaded decision.

Apart from that decision, Rachel makes for a likable heroine with an equally likable husband at her side. Ashlynn Yennie lets you feel Rachel's anguish as she deals with insecurities brought on by her infertility and Claire's efforts to wreck her life. You'll feel for the poor woman whenever the stress causes her to lash out and play right into Claire's hands. Bill is just as endearing as Rachel, with Philip Boyd making you believe in Bill's love for his wife. There's only one moment when Bill gets angry with Rachel, and even then, it's understandable when you think about the situation from his perspective. Elsewhere, he's mostly worried about his wife as Claire makes it appear Rachel may not be as ready for motherhood as she and Bill thought. Diane Robin completes the O'Donnell gang as Bill's mother Alice. While Alice isn't nearly as ferocious as the last nagging mother-in-law Robin played, she gives just as good a performance. You'll loathe her as she casually derides her daughter-in-law, feel for Rachel as she weathers the blatant disrespect, and celebrate when she finally gives Alice the scolding she deserves. You'll also cheer whenever Bill defends Rachel and puts his foot down about his mother's behavior.

The supporting cast is sparse, with only three characters being notable enough to make an impression. Dave Pileggi & Brianna Butler appear as Bill and Rachel's respective friends Kurt and Lindsay. While Pileggi is moderately memorable for the humor he brings to Kurt's Frat Boy-esque antics and snarky comments, Butler doesn't fare as well playing the generic-as-can-be Lindsay. Her only substantial scene is the aftermath of Lindsay being roped into Claire's mind games; a scene in which Butler's emotional delivery is admittedly solid. And in a departure from the short film role that introduced me to him, Ryan Littmann is understatedly menacing as Claire's unstable ex-boyfriend Justin.

If you've seen enough Lifetime movies that focus on an obsessive psychopath, there's a lot in Deadly Due Date you'll have seen before. What puts this movie a notch above its contemporaries is the steady cast and the defined roles they're playing. All of the relationships are consistently written and developed, allowing insights to emerge about the protagonists and antagonists alike without them being spelled out for the audience. The Lifetime regulars playing the main trio draw you into their characters and the story keeps itself moving at a secure pace that makes the intense conclusion all the more gripping. If you're not busy attending your own high school reunion or planning an unsolicited baby shower, curl up with some pickles and ice cream and give Deadly Due Date a watch.

Score: 7 out of 10 spit up bibs.