‘The Baby Snatcher’ VOD Review
Stars: Jennifer Taylor, Adrienne Thomas, Matthew Lawrence, Paul London, Donna Lawrence, Anna Damergis | Written by Anna Damergis, Andrew Lawrence, Donna Lawrence, Tim Schaaf | Directed by Andrew Lawrence
The Baby Snatcher, also known under numerous monikers including Baby Dust and Maternal Sin, and released on the Lifetime network in the US under the more exploitative title My Best Friend the Baby Snatcher, comes from actor turned director Andrew Lawrence (Money Plane), who made his directorial debut only 4 years ago with The Office Mix-Up, which starred his two brothers Joey Lawrence and Matthew Lawrence – the latter of whom also stars in this film as the husband of the stories heroine, Penelope (Adrienne Thomas).
Very much in the “Lifetime” mould, The Baby Snatcher explores the fragile boundaries of friendship and the destructive power of jealousy, focusing on two best friends who become pregnant at the same time. However, tragedy strikes when one, Eve (Jennifer Taylor), suffers a miscarriage, leading to an obsession that spirals into a dark and dangerous plot to steal the other’s baby.
The performances by Jennifer Taylor and Adrienne Thomas are key to this film’s success – the pair are often on-screen together their rapport clearly visible, bringing a greater depth to the themes of grief, betrayal, and desperation when the film’s baby-snatching plot kicks in.
Speaking of desperation, the idea of loss etc., brings with it relatable yet intense emotions. Couple that with suspenseful pacing and emotional stakes, and The Baby Snatcher keeps viewers engaged, though I can see some of the film’s core audience being triggered by the portrayal of mental health and its resolution being overly dramatised – though it’s not like over-dramatisation isn’t a common staple of the average Lifetime TV movie!
For fans of Lifetime’s similar thriller franchises, like the Don’t Mess with Mommy series, this movie delivers the expected mix of melodrama and suspense…and the usual “Lifetime movie” cliches!
** 2/5
The Baby Snatcher is out now on digital in the UK courtesy of Scatena & Rosner Films.
