Christmas might’ve come early this year if you’d actually watched a lifetime movie like Her Deadly Night In Paris that had a fairly decent production value for a change. What’s more, the central romance, casting a soothing filter over the narrative’s tension and alleviating it to some extent, is actually quite convincing and one that you’d root for. A meet-cute straight out of a romance novel might’ve been a promising start to Lucy’s time in France. But the family hosting her has more convoluted secrets than an American exchange student freshly in a whole new country can handle. Here’s how Lucy’s shockingly devastating stay at the Verdier house plays out in Her Deadly Night In Paris.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?
The opening sequence of Her Deadly Night In Paris draws you in with the promise of a timeless romance. Being welcomed into her exciting new life in her dream city by a handsome boy sweeps Lucy off her feet right away. Her fairytale daydream, however, remains elusive as she is escorted by the charming Antoine to the Verdier household, where she’s being hosted by his parents as an exchange student. The brother-sister dynamic between the two, who are clearly drawn to each other in far-from-platonic ways, is readily enforced by Antoine’s nervy mother, Madeliene. What’s worse, Madeleine seems to be a puppet in the hands of Magistrate Remy Verdier, her evidently controlling husband, who’s also made sure to establish a dominating grasp over Antoine’s life. Overcoming the inhibitions demanded by the draconian values the family apparently lives by, Lucy and Antoine are increasingly embraced by an undeniable attraction that quickly morphs into puppy love. Antoine’s so immersed in the sense of freedom that Lucy brought to his suffocating life that he can’t help but let her plunge into his world of secrets. Throwing caution to the wind, they even give in to their feelings at his cousin Vincent’s party. What could’ve been a whirlwind romance is cut short when a petrified Lucy witnesses the murder of a certain Gaston at the hands of the revered magistrate. It’s not that she isn’t willing to believe that it was self-defense. After all, nobody would willingly be hosted by a raging killer. But her denial is short lived, as she’s arrested by Lieutenant Laurent on the allegation of killing Gaston.
Why Was Lucy Framed By Remy?
The Verdier family dynamics were discernibly sketchy, to say the least, from the moment Lucy set foot in the house. The image of Remy as a celebrated judge took but a minute to transform when Lucy was relentlessly pursued by Laurent, a cop evidently being marionetted by his sinister agenda. The only spark of hope that Lucy will get herself out of the ordeal unscathed comes from Antoine. With even her father clueless as to how he can be of any help from America and the US embassy washing their hands of a foreigner charged with murder, Lucy’s days as a fugitive are haunted by the imminent threat of incarceration or worse. Amidst his ardent effort to save the girl he’s come to fall for, Antoine’s heated exchanges with his parents opened a can of worms that the Verdiers would rather remain buried. Although it hardly catches you off guard when Remy turns out to be just as abusive a husband as he is a father.
Does Lucy Clear Her Name?
In Her Deadly Night In Paris, the longer Lucy’s attempts at staying off the radar are drawn out, the clearer it gets to her that Remy has multiple law enforcement officials in his pocket. Yet he’s somehow attained such an image that people at the Embassy are wary of even entertaining any allegations against him. From the very dawn of Lucy’s arrival in the Verdier household, there has been an air of discomfort regarding the kind of merciless leash that the patriarch holds his family under. The unspoken dynamic seems to be that Madeliene won’t even dare raise her voice against any decision that’s been communicated by Remy. That’s not a household where dreams thrive. And bearing the brunt of Remy’s authoritative instincts and his obsession with maintaining a respectable image in the public eye is Antoine’s dream of becoming a painter.
Other than his cousin Vincent, who himself faces Remy’s wrath in the form of his parole officer, who bullies him persistently, Lucy’s the only one who’s ever shown him any appreciation or encouragement to pursue his dream. That’s not a person Antoine could ever even dream of not giving his all to. And now that her very future and life itself are facing an enormous threat from his own father, who wouldn’t bat an eye before hurting his own son, Antoine takes it upon himself to be there for Lucy until she’s out of danger. If anything, the time period of the two hiding out in his secret studio allows them the perfect circumstance to nurture their affection for one another. Luckily for Lucy, her father took the first flight to Paris to show up when his daughter needed him the most. Yet, unfortunately, he wasn’t shrewd enough not to fall for the ruse orchestrated by Laurent and got himself arrested before he could do anything productive to help vindicate his daughter. What appears to be another hurdle in Lucy’s path at first soon transforms into a shot for her to take down Remy once and for all and help Antoine find closure about his convoluted past.
While seeking help from the bruised and battered Madeleine, Lucy and Antoine uncover a secret that, despite being too big of a blow to immediately come to terms with, does join a lot of stray dots. Gaston, the man who was brutally stabbed to death by the ferocious judge, was Antoine’s biological father, who was compelled to distance himself when Remy took advantage of Madeleine’s financial troubles. But as Lucy and Antoine have come to realize, love can’t be contained with threats, no matter what’s at stake. Gaston paid for his undying love for Madeleine with his life. And now, it was time for Antoine to do everything in his power to shield the girl he loved from any harm that Remy was planning to inflict on her.
Unfortunately, the strength of emotions was easily overpowered by Remy and his henchmen, who were one step ahead and located Lucy. Luckily, Lucy knew a thing or two about self-defense and had enough presence of mind to incapacitate the goon who was about to smash her brains in. It was, nonetheless, a close call when the gun-wielding Laurent was faced with the dilemma between choosing a promotion and being a human being with a moral compass. Losing her life over making the right choice might not have been how Laurent’s fate was supposed to turn out ideally, but it was her sacrifice that made it possible for Lucy and Antoine to finally put an end to Remy’s reign of terror. Madeleine’s courageous outburst that contributed to the win, along with the consequential choice made by Laurent not to stoop to Remy’s level, effectively highlights the repercussions of fear and the rewards of facing it with a brave face. And if it weren’t for Antoine’s unflinching commitment to standing up for what’s right, Remy’s abusive patterns would’ve caused the family irreparable damage.
Her Deadly Night In Paris‘ ending that separates the lovers with Lucy’s inevitable departure from France might seem bittersweet at first. But Antoine has tasted freedom for the first time. And the person he has to thank for it is Lucy. So, it’s no surprise that he’d want to explore the world outside the bounds of his father’s dictatorship. But most importantly, he’d want to experience the bounty of hope that’s the whole wide world with Lucy, the girl he’s hopelessly fallen for, by his side.
