New Lifetime thriller Nightmare in the Desert premieres on TV tonight

Nightmare in the Desert
(Image credit: Lifetime)

Get ready for another season of chills and thrills courtesy of Lifetime — the network is kicking off its fall movie slate with tonight's premiere of Nightmare in the Desert, which centers on an outdoor enthusiast and her boyfriend as they are secretly and terrifyingly tracked through the desert.

Debuting on Sunday, September 15 at 8pm Eastern Time, Nightmare in the Desert was reportedly inspired by actual events. Per Lifetime, its official description reads: "After returning to her childhood home outside Joshua Tree National Park, an outdoor enthusiast and her urbanite boyfriend are secretly tracked through the desert by a mysterious figure hellbent on preventing the boyfriend’s surprise proposal — even if it means murder."

Newcomer Gia De Sauvage has her first leading role as Shae Olson (the actress also recently appeared in a cameo for the channel's Sister Wife Murder film), with Tristan J. Watson portraying Shae's boyfriend Chris Hawley. The cast also features actors including Allen Williamson, Kyla Nova, Craig Stepp, Robert Solomon and Sasha Rose Kaminsky.  Sam Irvin directed the flick, from a script written by Richard Pierce. “It felt like a big family,” De Sauvage told The Hollywood Reporter about the experience of making the TV movie. “We all got along so well, and they were joking that it feels like going to summer camp.”

Nightmare in the Desert premieres on Sunday, September 15 at 8pm Eastern Time on Lifetime. Those with cable packages can watch on their local Lifetime channel, but even if you don't have traditional cable, cord-cutters can also tune in online with a live TV streaming service that carries Lifetime, such as Frndly TV, FuboHulu with Live TVSling TV and Philo TV. And if you miss the television broadcast tonight, Nightmare in the Desert will also be available to stream on MyLifetime.com beginning tomorrow, Monday, September 16. 

You can also tune into other recent Lifetime titles via streaming on MyLifetime.com as well as the Lifetime app, including the mystery flick Twisted Neighbor, the romance drama Tempted by Love (led by The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Garcelle Beauvais), or the gut-wrenching adoption tale The Daughter I Gave Away.

Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.