Upamanyu Biswas
Originally titled ‘She Was Murdered in Our House,’ Lifetime’s ‘The Last Woman Who Lived Here‘ follows married couple Charlotte and Joel, who move into a suburban home only to discover a dark history surrounding it. As Charlotte gets closer to the neighbors, she learns that the house’s previous occupant, Vanessa Miller, died in a mysterious fashion, raising several pertinent questions surrounding safety and the nature of the accident. Unable to rest on the news, she begins to investigate the death. However, the more she digs into it, the more secrets begin to emerge within her community, some of which directly lead to the “murder” that took place at her residence. The Samantha MacAdam directorial presents a chilling thriller movie centered on a past crime that lingers within a locality, offering a glimpse into the hidden lives of suburban families.
The Last Woman Who Lived Here is Based on Suburban Paranoia
While suspenseful and mysterious at every turn, ‘The Last Woman Who Lived Here’ is a fictional story penned into existence by scriptwriter Leo McGuigan. The movie explores the anxiety of moving homes that most families go through when a change materializes in their lives. However, it does this through a dark, twisted tale where a previous owner’s murder lingers over the house’s foundations, making it feel insecure and haunted. The film does not touch upon horror ideas but thematically feels close to a haunted house story. This deliberate choice enhances the raw tension pervading every scene and the rising fear in our characters as they try to get to the bottom of the truth. To that end, the central story walks the tightrope between psychological thriller and classic murder mystery.
The more Charlotte delves into the history of what happened, the more the film turns into a suburban thriller centered on lies, secrets, and deception. She discovers that the perfect facade of normalcy that exists within the community is a sham, and everyone is hiding something morally dubious. The plot bears resemblance to movies like ‘The Whole Truth,’ ‘Lakeview Terrace,’ and ‘The Gift,’ where a residential abode becomes haunted by a dark past or an enigmatic stranger. Such stories are reflective of the paranoia that often exists within individuals whenever something off-putting takes place close to home. It encourages the primal fear of danger existing right on the doorstep of a place that should be considered safe. As such, the thematic elements lend a sense of authenticity even if the exact events described are fictional and drawn from the writer’s imagination. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Charlotte and Serena: Neighbors Locked in a Game of Cat and Mouse
Charlotte and Serena are the two most important figures in ‘The Last Woman Who Lived Here,’ They are both fictional characters crafted by Leo McGuigan. The former is the protagonist of the story and someone who finds herself entrapped in a conspiratorial web after discovering that her new home has a dark secret. Soon after moving, she befriends Serena, the wife of the town’s famed businessman, Rick Bridges. When Charlotte starts investigating her house’s past, Serena is her only supporter. The two join hands in getting to the bottom of Vanessa Miller’s murder. However, this only comes back to stun Charlotte when she discovers that her new best friend is actually Vanessa’s killer. Thus, they remain locked in a false sense of friendship, hiding a cat-and-mouse game underneath.
As the Lifetime movie largely revolves around suburbia, Charlotte and Serena offer an entry point into those communal themes. Their relationship is fraught with lies and a false sense of camaraderie, which Charlotte realizes much later. In some ways, it is indicative of how suburban neighborhoods are often portrayed in films, with a seemingly posh and pristine facade that hides darker agendas. Their relationship pretty much embodies that idea of interior vs exterior, with much of Serena’s actual character lurking in the shadows. Despite the film trying to maintain a mystery around its characters, Serena’s actions seem off-putting from the start, which may be intentional in seeding a sense of doubt within the audience when the revelation happens later. Therefore, both characters play a distinct role in the narrative, even if they remain fictional in conception.
Read More: The Last Woman Who Lived Here: Filming Locations and Cast Details
