The Wrong Son (2018) User Reviews

Solid thriller with surprising twists & turns...

[rossmcfarlen · 7/10 · 29 April 2019]

This movie turned out to be very different to my initial anticipation of how the story would unfold...hooks you in to a very satisfactory denouement after many twists in this suspenseful tale.

Has good production values and acting performances to boot. Happy to watch this again some time in the future.

Worth a Watch

[healthnut-36237 · 7/10 · 22 March 2021]

I came across this movie on a streaming service, having no idea it was a Lifetime movie, which are known to be cheesy and mostly aimed at women. It was a pretty good movie, though, kept me interested and didn't drag at all.

The one thing that gave it away to me right away that the guy claiming to be Matt wasn't, was that he had black hair and the real Matt (and his brother) were both blondes. Even the imposter's eyebrows were black, so it wasn't like the character's hair had been dyed for whatever reason. To me that was a glaringly obvious thing; the moviemakers really should have cast a blonde actor or had the actor who played in the film dye his hair and eyebrows.

"the wrong son" gives away the story...

[jainray · 7/10 · 24 September 2018]

"the wrong son" gives away the story... should have been "my missing son" or something else... not a bad movie...

Darkness

[eljohn1069-1 · 20 June 2018]

Why do all these Lifetime movies have to be filmed in the dark even when they are in the houses? Why can't they turn on the lights?

The Title spoil the movie

[a-alzayer · 6/10 · 9 September 2018]

The title spoil the movie, keeps speculate and spoils the thrill

Entertaining low budget Thriller

[jester-40564 · 6/10 · 6 May 2021]

I found this while scrolling through Prime and I'm glad I did. It has the feel of a 90's B grade thriller - and I mean that as a compliment.

For what I'm guessing was an extremely low budget movie it was able to accomplish a lot. These cheaply made movies can sometimes go pear shaped, just take 'The Open House' also from 2018, to see what I mean.

The Cinematography looked good, better than I was expecting for a movie like this. The acting is above average here. No one does a bad job. Olivia d'Abo (The Wonder Years) is of course the highlight and Mason Dye (Flowers in the Attic) was also impressive in a smaller role. The pacing was brisk and we got a rather exciting 3rd act with some nicely done action/fighting stunts and emotional beats to tie it all up.

Keep in mind, its not all great. Like the opening '10 years later' so we don't see any search for Matt, or Ian getting into a car accident and instead of taking him to the hospital he's put in his own bed at home. But I give those type of things a bit of a pass because its clear it was done for budgetary reasons.

The only other thing I will say is hire someone a little better for the scar & bruise make up. The red and bright purple wasnt working. Youtube fan films do it better and I'm sure they have even less money to work with. Just a suggestion.

So overall, I'd recommend giving it a watch.

Could have been SO GOOD!!!!

[Carriexoc · 3/10 · 24 March 2019]

Why? Why? Why? Why can't these writers foresee issues with a script before they go forward with production? Walk through the scenes....see what doesn't make sense! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! Please!!! LIFETIME! Hire talented writers! The actors were Amazing! I have to say! The premise was great. The directing just fine! Overall I enjoyed the movie.....I'm just tired of the dumbass stupid plot holes and things that characters should never do. Overall, loved the acting.

Better than I thought it would be.

[edwardhutchinson · 7/10 · 24 November 2021]

The movie is pretty decent. It's a B movie for sure but maybe more like a B+. You can kind of figure out what's going to happen from the beginning but there's a neat twist at the end. It's better than MOTHER! That's for sure.

Terrible

[amgee-89551 · 1/10 · 24 October 2018]

This movie is dumb and predictable it's untrue. The twist was absolutely laughable. 1/10

It's okay

[pinkstars61 · 6/10 · 13 July 2019]

It's an OK movie. Title says it all. There is a goof. When the lady is tied up she breaks a mirror knocking it over. How did she manage to pick up the shard. Her hands were to high up to grab it

okay til last 10 minutes

[doycesub · 5/10 · 29 June 2018]

I was okay with this movie until the last 10 minutes. The daughter-in-law character dialed 911 and was put on hold!! Come-on I don't think 911 is allowed to put the caller on hold!! That's when it lost me!!

Final scene

[ronsimeone-54879 · 8/10 · 22 February 2021]

One of best LMN movies! The final scene when the brothers meet was very well acted,; very emotional!

The Lost Son

[lynansaysingle · 7/10 · 7 March 2022]

The Lost Son would have been the title I would have picked instead of the Wrong Son which gives away the plot or Her Son's Secret. This is obviously one of those Matinee, B grade movies but one of the better ones. The plot though predictable still gives you a twist. The actors are decent and the dialogues run smoothly which I appreciate. I am not sure how much of the story its based on is true as I have seen a few movies about lost child. I enjoyed the movie just the same.

Waste of time

[carlochelhot · 1/10 · 8 August 2021]

Terrible , bad acting, story is missing lots of sense , Nothing has logic in that movie.

Good thriller

[lisafordeay · 6/10 · 25 February 2024]

Her Son's Secret(The Wrong Son) is a 2018 thriller starring Olivia D'Apo. The story follows a widower named Sarah who has two sons Ian and Matt. However 15 years ago her youngest son Matt,disappears after playing with his older brother Ian on the beach and is grieving since about it.

15 years later and a young man shows up claiming to be Matt,but is he an imposter who is looking for money?.

Overall it was a good film with bad lot of twists that I could see coming a mile away. The acting was good too and the story was easy enough to follow.

If you like these kind of films that do check it out.

50-50, all about odd relationships

[NijazBaBs · 5/10 · 10 May 2019]

This is movie with good story or idea, but not the best actors and acting. There is too much talk, and too little action. There is lack of details, emotional and facial expressions. Most stuff is amateur, recorded by ordinary camera, without special effects, effort, or quality. Everybody could record this movie, because there is nothing special. Lesson is to beware of all relationships, but especially weird ones like LGBT, foster family, unknown family members, and possible fake family members.

...worthwhile WATCH!...

[thespinedoc · 8/10 · 7 March 2021]

...interesting and suspenseful plot.. ...puts you in a place where you wonder which son has the secrets... ...actually really enjoyed the acting and all the relationship "denouements"... ...

The best Lifetime thriller I've seen

[mjanssens26 · 9/10 · 17 April 2021]

This stars Olivia D'abo and the actress from The Good Sheppard and the actor from Younger. Plenty of twists and turns even though you pretty much know the deal from the start about the son. There are still a lot of great twists along the way and a couple good jump scares. This was a great thriller and far better than I anticipated.

Loved This

[matthewbolt92 · 10/10 · 25 June 2018]

Enjoyed this WAY more than I expected. Well-paced, great performances, and very suspenseful. Some really surprising twists. This is a perfect little 90-minute popcorn thriller. Feels like the kind of movie Hollywood used to make a lot in the late-80s/early-90s.

A Mother's Worst Nightmare

[lavatch · 8/10 · 25 December 2020]

In this well-crafted drama, a little boy is separated from his older brother while playing in the ocean. In the midst of a game of Marco Polo, little Matty seems to vanish in thin air. He is declared dead, and the grieving parents must go on with their lives.

Fast forward ten years, and an eighteen-year-old shows up on the doorstep of Sarah Sherwood, claiming to be Matty. Sarah is currently grieving the death of her husband Jake, and the kid's appearance seems a little too convenient at the time that Jake's will is being settled. The youngster seems especially eager to claim his "share."

"The Wrong Son" (a.k.a., "Her Son's Secrets") includes a well-developed set of characters, including Matty's older brother Ian, a successful entrepreneur in his early twenties, and his new bride Rachel, a bright young attorney. The filmmakers were successful in developing the tension between the characters' desire to believe that Matty is alive and the evidence piling up against him.

The scene-stealer in the film is the character Jessica Parker, the high school sweetheart of Jake and the figure driving the action. There was especially crisp dialogue throughout, as when Sarah recalls her tortured experience after she lost little Matty: "A scab grew over my heart," she laments. It is Jessica who preys upon Sarah's vulnerability, as she is propelled by vindictiveness and envy. Tammy Blanchard, a great fan favorite of Lifetime viewers for "We Were the Mulvaneys," shows her performing range in this chilling performance.

A mother's true instinct kicks in when Sarah comes to the realization that she would spontaneously recognize her son, despite the passing of ten years. The effective climactic scene finally allows her to let go of the guilt, to come to terms with the nightmare she has endured, and to embrace the destiny of the reunion of a mother with a lost child.

At last ... an entertaining movie.

[eddiesterling-82248 · 8/10 · 12 April 2021]

Excellent thriller, with a dramatic ending. Makes a change from watching such worthy nonsense pumped out these days.

Not the Predictable Fare!

[bbenevides · 9/10 · 21 June 2018]

It seemed like a typical TV movie premise. Long lost son returns. Is it him or is there some sinister plot in play. And yes, that is the plot of the Wrong Son but what this film delivers was a surprisingly twisty thriller that keeps you second guessing what will happen next. Combine that with great performances from Olivia D'Abo, Dan Amboyer and Paloma Guzman and you get two hours of intense entertainment. I've already seen it twice and look forward more viewings! Definitely a rousing thumbs up!

Surprisingly Intense!

[AmblinRules · 10/10 · 20 June 2018]

I watch a lot of these Lifetime thrillers, and this was WAY more engaging than their typical fare. It was really tense and emotional, and the twists were very surprising. I'm excited to watch it again. Definitely recommend.

Good

[Kristamw · 10/10 · 24 March 2019]

This is one of the better Lifetime movies. A couple's younger son (Matt) goes missing and ten years later, a boy returns, claiming to be Matt, but is he? Writing Quality/Character Development: Pretty good script with lots of tension between the two brothers, because the lingering question continues to permeate between them: Is he really Matt? The mom is startled by Matt on a few occasions; her screams are pretty good! Matt, in particular, is well developed; we're never quite sure what to expect from him, especially when the family starts to question his identity and his motives. Values: Protecting one's family. Content (sex, language, & violence): No sex or language. Some violence throughout, but mostly tamed. Scare Factor/Suspense: You see edginess in Matt that is concerning, so this keeps you on the edge of your seat. A movie that keeps you intrigued, pulling you into the shadows of a dark mystery.

Superior lost son story

[phd_travel · 9/10 · 19 June 2018]

If you think there have been lots of this type of story where a kidnaped child is reunited and turns out to be a psycho, well be patient this one is not that simple. When the wacko is revealed pretty soon, there must be a twist and this one turns out to avoid cliches and is very satisfying and quite plausible. The cast is good and give touching performances. Tammy Blanchard is a great actress and wouldn't be in a sub par movie. This is a step forward for Lifetime movies.