Is Lifetime's Thriller 'Love You To Death' Real?

Another summer weekend, another new Lifetime movie. And, the latest is a thriller. But, Love You to Death, isn't based on a true story so much as it's based on a series of cliches about rom-coms and Hollywood thrillers. It's a Lifetime classic: A story that throws together "teens," "abduction," "seduction," and "murder" in order to create a plot about a dreamy new boy who comes to town, only to find that he might be a serial murderer who kidnapped and killed another student from the school. It's a "boy meets girl, boy turns out to allegedly have killed another girl" story.

Whether the new guy in school turns out to be murderous or just misunderstood, the film reminds you that, as if high school wasn't already miserable enough, there's no way to tell if your crush is a killer or not. Fortunately, Love You To Death isn't based on a singular event. (Not to be confused with the 1990 film I Love You To Death, which is based on the true story of an attempted murder.) In real life, there is no Melissa Kennedy who went missing in Ridgedale, like the Lifetime movie's plot has.

Love You To Death features Lindsay Shaw's Sylvia Potter who "wants so badly to be in love." (I've been there, girl.) Unfortunately for her, "sexy, quiet, rich kid Lucas Green" shows up and "the police begin an investigation into Lucas' involvement in the Melissa Kennedy case," the missing girl from Hampton Prep (delightful fictional high school name, BTW). Of course, the main character is right in the middle of the investigation now, and she'll probably become something of an amateur detective, either teaming up with Lucas while he's behind bars or trying desperately to evade him when she becomes the next target... even though he'll probably wind up the most entertaining part of the movie.

It's just like last year's No Good Deed, the Taraji P. Henson thriller where she's forced to team up with escaped criminal Idris Elba.

But, what makes Love You to Death a total teen horror is the last sentence from Lifetime's description: "How long can Lucas and Sylvia's relationship last in the face of this mystery?" Even in the face of a potential murderer, nothing will stand between a teen girl and her boyfriend. I love it, I respect it, and while Love You to Death has no connection to a real life event, I think that part of it was inspired by very real high school relationships.

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