Zara Downes, aka Ronnie (Lydia Hearst), was the main villainess from the 2020 Lifetime film, Psycho Sister-in-Law (alternately titled, Sinister Sister; airdate August 16, 2020).
Backstory and Introduction[]
Ronnie's backstory only revealed that she was the roommate of the actual Zara Downes, with both of them heading to Vegas to start their acting careers. Zara, who wanted to be known as Amelia, ended up winning the lead part, while Ronnie was her understudy due to their immense resemblance, leaving Ronnie jealous of Zara. Ronnie decided to plot to steal Zara's identity and life, as well as dating Reid--a man who Zara fancied.
The relationship resulted in a pregnancy, though Ronnie ended up losing the baby after five months. The opening scene showed Zara and Ronnie in a verbal spat after the former's performance, but later on, Zara was startled when a spotlight shone on her. The light was turned on by Ronnie, who later appeared and stabbed Zara to death.
Events[]
In the events of the film, Ronnie, now taking Zara's identity, contacted Zara's half-brother, Nick Downes, before attending the funeral of Gavin Downes, Nick and Zara's father. Zara successfully talked her way into living with Nick and his pregnant wife, Haley Downes, and also attended the reading ot Gavin's will, which left the house to Nick and Haley. The news surprised Gavin's fiancee, Callie Hayes, though she was welcomed by the couple; however, Zara began to drive a wedge between them by claiming to have seen Callie and family friend/lawyer Turner Stevens flirting with each other.
Turner denied the claim, and after Reid returned to Zara's life, the pair colluded in a murderous plot, which had Zara send Reid to kill Turner--using Callie's belt to strangle him to death. Reid also attacked both Nick and Haley; attempting the smother the latter, and regarding the focus of their plan, it was to frame Callie for everything--attempting to portray Callie as a murderous and greedy villainess. Callie ended up suspected in the murders, though Nick and Haley refused to believe that she was behind everything that occurred.
Zara's reveal as a conspirator came when she and Reid met after the attacks, with the villainess lashing out at Reid for attempting to kill Haley--as she wanted Haley's baby. Zara's order for Reid to leave was met with refusal, as he demanded more money and threatened to reveal the truth about her inheritance. In response, Zara embraced Reid before wrapping the belt around his neck, killing him while blaming Reid for the loss of her baby.
Climax and Death[]
In the film's climax, Nick received a call from a woman named Stevie, who informed him that Zara had been missing for the past two years. A meeting saw Nick show Stevie a picture of Zara, only for Stevie to reveal that the woman was not Zara, but a woman named Ronnie, who was Zara's roommate. Nick phoned Callie with his knowledge, doing so while Callie found evidence linking Zara to Turner's murder during Haley's baby shower. While Callie warned Haley about Zara, the villainess appeared and held both women at gunpoint, leading to a chase that saw Zara kill Callie by puncturing her neck with the sharp end of a comb.
After Nick arrived, he and Haley ended up held at gunpoint by "Zara," who revealed her true identity as Ronnie. The crazed villainess boldly confessed to using Zara to get her identity and kill her, claiming that Zara was a self-absorbed person and even stating that she did Nick a favor by killing her. While taking Haley's baby was her motive, the couple also (correctly) concluded that Ronnie's true plan was to live Zara's luxurious life as well, after which Haley feigned acquiescing with Ronnie and agreeing to eliminate Nick, as Ronnie needed Haley alive to deliver their baby--revealed as a girl. But at that moment, Haley grabbed Ronnie's gun and pointed it at the villainess as she fired it, ending up shooting herself. A wounded Ronnie expressed shock and horror at what just happened while asking Haley why she did this, to which Haley responded that she just used Ronnie's own evil tactics of manipulating and betraying people against Ronnie. Realizing that she has well and truly lost, Ronnie ultimately suffered the consequences of her evil actions by dying of her wound.