Lisa

The film commences with a solitary woman returning from a long day at work, her thoughts preoccupied as she scrolls through her messages. But one particular message stands out - a chilling declaration that sends shivers down her spine: "I'm here in your apartment and I'm going to kill you." Before she can process the threat, a gloved hand silences her with an unsettling suddenness. A figure, later revealed to be (D.W. Moffett), forces her into her bedroom, where the air is thick with anticipation as candles flicker and wine glasses clink. The stage is set for another gruesome chapter in the twisted tale of the "Candlelight Killer," a serial murderer stalking the streets of Los Angeles.

As the credits roll, the scene shifts to a Catholic high school, where 14-year-old Lisa (Staci Keanan) and her best friend Wendy (Tanya Fenmore) rush into the girls' locker room after school, eager to shed their uniforms and swap stories. Their afternoon ritual involves tracking down handsome single men, snapping candid photos for their fantasy scrapbook, and reliving the thrill of the chase. On this particular day, they pounce on a unsuspecting driver as he exits his sleek convertible in an underground garage. Wendy leans in beside him, while Lisa captures the moment with her camera. They vanish into thin air, leaving the bemused driver behind.

Back at Wendy's home, they're meticulously curating their scrapbook when Wendy receives a call that changes everything. A crush has invited her out on a date, and his friend wants to double up with Lisa. But there's a catch - Lisa's mother won't permit her to date until she turns 16. The reason behind this overprotectiveness is rooted in Katherine (Cheryl Ladd)'s own tumultuous past, where she became pregnant as a teenager and was disowned by her parents for choosing to keep the baby.

As dinner preparations unfold that evening, Lisa broaches the subject of the date once more, only to be met with an unyielding "no" from her mother. In a desperate attempt to prove her maturity, Lisa volunteers to pick up some rice at the local store. But fate has other plans, as she's startled by a barking dog and collides with none other than the "Candlelight Killer," who's lingering in the neighborhood after committing another heinous crime. Despite his sinister reputation, this charming stranger proves courteous and helpful, assisting Lisa in gathering her scattered groceries. As he drives away, leaving her in a daze, she can't help but jot down the plate number on his SUV, drawn to his handsome visage like a moth to flame.

As Lisa has mastered the art of modulating her tone to mimic an adult's, she employs this skill to charmingly extract personal information from a DMV agent, namely Richard, whose details she cunningly coaxes from his license plate. Seizing the opportunity, she calls Richard from her bedroom phone and, adopting the persona of someone he knows who prefers not to reveal their identity, engages in flirtatious banter inspired by lines her mother has shared about a suitor's advances. As Richard reciprocates with playful remarks, Lisa becomes enamored with the thrill of making these clandestine calls.

Lisa and Wendy subsequently stake out Richard's apartment complex, covertly trailing him as he commutes to work, where he is revealed to be the esteemed manager of an upscale eatery. The next day, Lisa attempts to spend time with her friend Wendy, but finds herself solo, prompting a solo excursion to Richard's building. As a resident accidentally opens their garage gate using the same remote code, Lisa seizes the opportunity to slip inside and get an unobstructed glimpse of Richard's SUV. However, when another identical remote activates the car's lock, Lisa finds herself trapped in the backseat, her imagination running wild with scenarios of a romantic escapade with Richard. She makes a hasty escape as he stops at the dry cleaner's.

This close call only fuels Lisa's creative endeavors. In subsequent calls to Richard, she recounts their fictional encounter at the restaurant, revealing her name as Lisa and basking in his compliment that she must be breathtakingly beautiful.

Meanwhile, Wendy's father (Jeffrey Tambor) extends an invitation for Lisa to join their family for a mountain retreat. Katherine vetoes this proposal, suspecting that Wendy's burgeoning romance is sparking Lisa's imagination. The ensuing argument between mother and daughter culminates in Katherine relenting, ultimately greenlighting Lisa's trip with Wendy's father.

As a mother-daughter bonding experience, Lisa and Katherine decide to embark on a night out at Richard's restaurant, an establishment chosen by Lisa herself. Unbeknownst to Katherine, Lisa has a ulterior motive for selecting this particular eatery - she's been orchestrating a match-making scheme with Wendy's help, aiming to pair her mother off with none other than the enigmatic restaurateur himself, Richard. To facilitate this plan, Lisa takes it upon herself to plant a subtle cue at the restaurant: she'll be wearing white, just like her mother, in hopes of sparking recognition and romance.

On the evening of their outing, Katherine dons the same color, only to be greeted by Richard with a mix of curiosity and confusion. A note left on the check by Lisa serves as a cryptic hint, bearing the message "Now you have seen me" accompanied by a lipstick kiss. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Richard, Katherine has been using her credit card to settle their dinner tab, leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs that ultimately lead him to uncover her true identity.

The evening's convivial atmosphere gives way to tension when Lisa confronts her mother about finding birth control pills in her room. Unaware that her mother is already involved with someone special, Lisa accuses Katherine of being unfaithful and not allowing her to date, sparking a heated argument that culminates in the young girl being grounded and having her phone privileges revoked.

In an attempt to escape her predicament, Lisa joins Wendy's family on a mountain getaway, only to realize that they're oblivious to her current situation. As she's away from home, Katherine begins to piece together Lisa's plan and decides not to reveal the truth to Wendy's parents. Instead, she leaves a stern warning for her daughter: they'll have a long-overdue chat when Lisa returns.

The next day, Lisa seizes an opportunity to confide in Richard about her mother's identity - or so she thinks. However, Richard has already uncovered the truth and shares his discovery with Lisa over the phone. The young girl is shocked to learn that Richard possesses her mother's name, as well as her phone number.

In a bid to protect her mother from potential harm, Lisa advises Katherine to disregard any calls from someone named Richard, warning her that it might be just another prank caller. Little does she know that this advice will ultimately lead to chaos when Richard pays an unexpected visit to the apartment, hoping to confront Katherine directly.

As fate would have it, Lisa's return home coincides with Katherine's arrival back from a shopping trip. Unbeknownst to her mother, Lisa has been busy leaving messages on their phone, including one ominous message that Richard uses to his advantage. As Katherine plays back the recordings, she initially believes the threatening message is just another prank, only to be startled when she realizes someone is indeed lurking in their apartment - none other than Richard himself, who manages to overpower her with ease.

As Lisa returns home, she is brutally ambushed by Richard, who has discovered her secret scrapbook and become infuriated. With a malevolent glint in his eye, he assaults Katherine, rendering her unconscious, before dragging Lisa to a lavishly appointed bedroom, replete with the trappings of a romantic evening: candelabras, wine glasses, and soft music. However, just as Richard is about to unleash his depraved intentions upon Lisa, Katherine suddenly regains consciousness, fueled by maternal fury. With stealthy precision, she plunges a knife into Richard's shoulder from behind, leaving him reeling in agony. Undeterred, Lisa seizes the opportunity to strike back, unleashing a potent mace that further brutalizes her tormentor. The two women retreat to Lisa's bedroom, but their brief respite is short-lived, as they realize with dawning horror that Katherine has disabled the phone, leaving them trapped and defenseless. In a desperate bid for survival, they hastily open the window, prepared to flee into the night. But Richard, convinced they have escaped through the window, careens out of control towards the aperture, only to be met by Katherine's vengeance in the form of a crushing baseball bat blow. The force of the impact sends him tumbling several stories down, his lifeless body crashing onto the pavement below. As the echoes of their ordeal fade away, Lisa and her mother collapse into each other's arms, overwhelmed with relief at having emerged from the abyss alive.