There used to be a time when watching Lifetime movies was my favorite pastime. This movie called Fatal Fixer Upper by David DeCoteau has a main antagonist named Josh, played by Duke Van Patten, who has something called OLD, not the age-old kind, but it stands for Obsessive Lover Disorder. It’s pretty creepy because it means he’s way too obsessed with this woman named Vivian (Jasmine Aivaliotis). So, here’s the deal: Josh sells his house to a couple, Vivian and Ryan (Philip McElroy), after his fiancée, Catherine (Vera Lee), calls it quits. But from that point on, Josh’s fixation is all on Vivian, the new buyer of his house. He’s doing all sorts of crazy stuff to try to make her his, like spying on her with hidden cameras he has set up in his old house. Will Vivian and Ryan catch on to what’s happening? And what’s going to go down with Josh in the end? Well, let’s unravel the mystery in this explanation!
Spoilers Ahead
What happened to Sandy?
From the moment we meet Josh, he’s the creepiest guy ever, like your worst nightmare of a stalker ex-boyfriend, if you have ever had one! After his ex-fiancée, Catherine, ditches him, he’s on the hunt for a new target to shower with his twisted love and obsession. Selling his house to a couple named Vivian and Ryan seems like the perfect plan. Why them? Because Josh thinks Vivian is this innocent, beautiful angel who’s bound to fall head over heels for him! Before handing over the keys with the help of realtor Sandy, Josh sets up CCTV cameras in every nook and cranny of the house. Talk about major creepy vibes! When Vivian and Ryan move in, they don’t know much about Josh except that he works in construction and is off to Utah to join his brother’s company. But soon enough, Josh starts popping into their house any time he pleases, uninvited, and it’s freaking Vivian and Ryan out because they feel as if Josh has never left the place! At first, they’re not thrilled about his random visits, but when Josh offers to do all the construction work at a bargain rate, they’re like, “Score!” It’s not that they’re cool with his presence; they’re just happy about the cheap labor!
Vivian, though, starts feeling a weird connection with Josh. Not romantic or anything, but she sees him as this good guy she can confide in, especially since things have been rocky with Ryan ever since his affair with his secretary. But here’s where things take a dark turn. Josh wants Vivian’s sympathy, so he spins this sob story about his ex-fiancée’s death, saying it’s why he’s selling the house and moving to Utah. He even claims to be living in a swanky apartment that Sandy supposedly helped him find. But guess what? That’s all a big, fat lie! He’s actually living in a van and spying on Vivian from a secret studio he’s rigged up in the very house’s ceiling! When Vivian finds out Sandy didn’t hook Josh up with an apartment, she smells trouble. And boy, is she right. Confronting Josh leads to a showdown, and he flips out, choking Sandy to death to keep his lies from coming to light.
What happened to Casey?
Casey, Vivian’s cousin and a private investigator, gets invited to a barbecue at their new house along with his wife, Eliza. But guess who crashes the party uninvited? You got it, Josh! And Ryan’s not too happy about it. He’s all suspicious, thinking Vivian and Josh are getting cozy, but Vivian’s made it clear that she does not have any romantic feelings for Josh. Meanwhile, Josh is off to see the psychologist, hoping to get some sense knocked into him. But instead of listening to the doctor’s advice to take his medications seriously, he goes and does the unthinkable—he kills the poor doctor, thinking she is trying to control him! On the other side, Ryan’s getting fed up with Josh messing with their peace, so he starts snooping around. He chats up the neighbors and learns some jaw-dropping news: Josh’s supposedly dead ex-fiancée is actually alive! He has lied about this too. Ryan’s not taking any chances. He takes help from Casey to dig up dirt on Josh. And what does Casey find? Josh’s so-called “apartment” is nothing but an empty lot next to some train tracks! But Josh also ain’t having it. He catches wind of Ryan’s investigation and decides to take matters into his own hands. He hits Ryan with his van, but thankfully he survived! And when Casey comes snooping around to spill the beans, Josh doesn’t hesitate—he takes him out too! Why? Casey stumbled upon Josh’s laptop in the van, where there was live footage of Vivian in their house, revealing his creepy obsession with Vivian. Josh was willing to do anything to keep his twisted love under wraps, even if it meant taking out anyone who got in his way!
Did Josh try to kill Vivian?
Meanwhile, Josh spills his heart out to Vivian, confessing his love for her. But Vivian isn’t buying it. She knows he’s crossing the line. So, she teams up with Ryan to dig deeper into Josh’s shady past. And what they uncover is beyond shocking! From Casey’s investigation files, they discover an old storage unit linked to Josh. And guess what they find there? Sandy’s dead body! Now, Vivian’s determined to uncover the truth about Josh’s dark secrets. She reaches out to Catherine, Josh’s ex, who spills the beans about something called OLD—obsessive-lover disorder—that Josh had. It turns out that Josh was a total control freak, stalking Catherine’s every move and threatening to kill her if she dared to leave. No wonder she got out of there! Vivian’s heart breaks for Catherine, realizing the horror she endured. And when she gets back home, she follows her gut and checks out the ceiling door. And what does she find? A creepy setup of cameras, revealing how Josh’s been spying on her all this time! But before Vivian can take her findings to the cops, Josh swoops in, grabbing her and threatening to end her life! He’s convinced that if he can’t have Vivian, no one else can!
In Fatal Fixer Upper‘s ending, Ryan bursts into the house just in time, catching Josh red-handed seeing him threatening Vivian’s life. But before he can make a move, Josh grabs him! But he did not know that Eliza, Casey’s ex-wife, was right behind him, armed and ready. Eliza shot him, putting an end to Josh’s terror of obsession once and for all! Justice is served as Eliza avenges her husband’s death and saves Ryan and Vivian from the clutches of this crazed stalker! Now, we can hope that with Josh out of the picture, they can finally breathe easy and enjoy a peaceful life in their new home, free from the nightmare of his obsession.
