The Female Villains Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Kathleen Strickland (Allison McAtee) was the main villainess from the 2016 Lifetime film, The Wrong House (airdate December 26, 2016).


Kathleen Strickland was a personal trainer who had been secretly targeting the Lassiters (Rebecca, the film's main protagonist, her husband Brian, and their young daughter Maddy) who had moved into the suburbs. The Lassiters bought a suburban house that Kathleen actually grew up in, and she had been attempting to get the house back feeling that her mother was wrongly evicted from the home. The eviction drove Kathleen into a deep depression. This Obsession consumed her so much so that she had been in therapy making regular visits to her therapist, Dr. Elizabeth Ross.

After being outbid by the Lassiters, Kathleen made various attempts to get them out of what she felt was "her" house. It began with a few "harmless pranks" that included having pizzas delivered to the home (using Ms. Lanier's phone to make the order), and planting a dead rat in the house, which resulted in exterminators being called. Kathleen's schemes became more sinister when she tossed a rock through Maddy's window while she was asleep inside, and painted Brian as a child predator by putting up posters all over the neighborhood. She later planted hidden cameras into the home to spy on the Lassiters. When she was spotted by Ellen, who had actually known Kathleen's mother, the deranged Kathleen confronted Ellen at her home accusing her of harboring hatred towards her mother. The confrontation ended with Kathleen pushing Ellen down the stairs, killing her.

Kathleen later began to cause a rift between Rebecca and Brian, while also serving as the former's personal trainer. She entered the home and planted her underwear under their bed, and then left a strand of her hair in their shower, to make Rebecca believe that Brian was cheating on her with a woman named Candice leaving a note that furthered the illusion. While working with Ms. Lanier, Kathleen discussed Brian's affair, only to become alarmed that Ms. Lanier recognized her car parked near the home. To keep her from finding out the truth, Kathleen killed Ms. Lanier, doing so by bludgeoning her with a barbell. In her latest visit to Dr. Ross, Kathleen mentioned what she had been doing to the Lassiters, which alarmed Dr. Ross. Kathleen was told by Dr. Ross that she'll no longer receive counseling and that she'll even inform the police regarding her actions. In response, Kathleen went into a rage and attacked Dr. Ross, choking her to death and claiming that she was "crazy" for interfering with her chance at happiness.

Kathleen visited Rebecca in the film's climax, but at his office, Brian had learned the truth about Kathleen and it was confirmed when he phoned their realtor Angela Chasen. His call to Rebecca regarding Kathleen was intercepted by the latter, which prompted the psychotic villainess to grab a fireplace poker and attack Rebecca. After tying up Rebecca, Kathleen revealed her backstory and her plans to kill her and Brian to get her house back. Detective Carter entered the home after Brian called the police, only to be killed by Kathleen. Brian entered and confronted Kathleen, and tried to get her to stop her evil ways, even offering the house to Kathleen, but Kathleen spitefully refused to stop her evil ways and declared that everyone, including Brian, Carter, and Rebecca, deserved to die at her hands and that she'll get the house after killing them all.

Having completely given in to her evilness and mindlessly desperate to kill the two and finally reclaim the house, Kathleen attacked Brian with the poker and went after Rebecca, attempting to kill her first. Kathleen tracked Rebecca to the bedroom and found her under the bed, attempting to pull her from her hiding place and then kill her. However, Kathleen's evil plans to get the house finally end up backfiring in a big way, as in her rage, Kathleen failed to see that Brian was behind her, carrying Carter's gun, and Brian, having accepted that Kathleen was beyond redemption, saved Rebecca's life by shooting Kathleen with a single shot to her back. A wounded Kathleen, realizing in horror that she has lost, was then dragged out from under the bed by Brian as she ultimately died of her wound.

Victims[]

  • Ellen (pushed down the stairs)
  • Ms. Lanier (bludgeoned on a barbell twice)
  • Dr. Elizabeth Ross (strangled on a neck after being choked)
  • Detective Carter (stabbed)
  • Brian and Rebecca Lassiter (attempted and failed, Brian shoots Kathleen to death)

Trivia[]

  • Allison McAtee appeared as hitwoman Claudia in the 2009 episode "Hit Me Baby" for the TV series "Life".
  • Allison McAtee appeared as Tanya in the 2020 Lifetime movie "Deadly Mile High Club".
  • Kathleen Strickland bears some similarity to another Lifetime villainess: Iris Janaway from 2018's Deadly Inn. Both women were obsessed with regaining their former homes, and they killed those they believed were an obstacle; including attempting to kill the home's new owners. A difference was that Iris had an added incentive in her plan: attempting the fill the void left by a deceased child.

Gallery[]

Advertisement