A Stranger’s Child – Review | Tubi (2/5)

A STRANGER’S CHILD on Tubi is a mystery thriller that entertains and has strong performances. Unfortunately, it’s also quite predictable, which means it could’ve been better. Read our full A Stranger’s Child movie review here!

A STRANGER’S CHILD is a new Tubi thriller with a familiar lead actor and made by two familiar Tubi names. The production quality is impressive, the plot entertaining and the actors all deliver strong performances.

So, what’s not to like? Well, not much really. This Tubi movie is definitely worth watching. It’s just very predictable in the sense that it feels like we’re being force-fed clues to the point that we’re always a step or two ahead of the story. A strange experience I couldn’t enjoy as much as I wanted to.

Continue reading our A Stranger’s Child movie review below. Find it on Tubi from May 15, 2024.

A narrator that clues us in

A Stranger’s Child opens with the lead character narrating. She’s telling us about her life and what happened just recently that changed everything. Even the title is mentioned, and when she says “A stranger’s child” it almost made me cringe.

I mean, sure, it made sense, but also felt just a tad too forced.

In any case, the real story begins when our lead protagonist, Donna, wakes up in the hospital. She’s been in a car accident and now has amnesia. Not to the point where she can’t remember who she is or who everyone else is. Instead, she’s just missing the past several months.

She wakes up believing that she’s pregnant, but instead, she now has a 3-month-old baby. Obviously, this is a very strange experience. Also, we see on the news that a couple is begging for their kidnapped baby to be returned.

The ending of A Stranger’s Child explains everything

The logical conclusion for Donna is that the baby might not be hers. And since she has no recollection of giving birth – or anything else from the past many months – she’s nervous that maybe she has the kidnapped baby.

So far, so good… even if you have an idea of where this is heading already. Don’t worry, I won’t do spoilers and all is explained in A Stranger’s Child. You will get all the answers before the end credits.

What you will also get is an ending that is very odd. After all has been revealed and we definitely know the hows and whys of the child Donna has with her, there is a final scene. I kept waiting for some final wild twist.

Instead, it ends in a way that is both mysterious, happy, and extremely odd for this kind of film.

Consider yourself warned, the A Stranger’s Child ending is… well, strange. This is not an “ending explained” sort of situation for the Tubi thriller. Just a very unexpected and unnecessary addition to a movie that could’ve ended a beat earlier and been stronger for it.

Watch A Stranger’s Child on Tubi now!

As already mentioned, the filmmakers behind A Stranger’s Child are no strangers to Tubi. The director is Monika Mitchell, who previously directed the Tubi Originals Deadly Invitations (2024) and Deadly Midwife (2023).

The latter also starred Jessica Lowndes in the lead role – just as she plays the lead role in this new movie. Jessica Lowndes is really good as Donna, and I love how she gets to say what you will undoubtedly be thinking as some of the twists happen. A solid casting choice as she always delivers!

Also, I have to mention Clayton James, who was brilliant as a very violent and abusive husband. It’s scary to be so good at portraying someone so sinister. The rest of the core cast consists of Zibby Allen and Brad Harder (Prey for the Bride), who also deliver solid performances with what they’re given.

The screenwriter is Helen Marsh who also wrote A Deadly Invitation and Deadly Midwife – yes, the very same ones directed by Monika Mitchell – as well as Festival of the Living Dead. This latest one could’ve had a stronger story, but as far as the entertainment value, it does work. It just could’ve been better!

A Stranger’s Child (2024) is out on Tubi on May 15, 2024.

Details

Director: Monika Mitchell
Writer: Helen Marsh
Stars: Jessica Lowndes, Zibby Allen, Brad Harder, Clayton James, Justin Lacey