TV Movie,History,Drama
United States of America
The Lover in the Attic is a made-for-TV movie that aired on Lifetime in 2018. It is based on the true crime story of Dolly Oesterreich, a Milwaukee housewife who engaged in a scandalous affair with her repairman, Otto Sanhuber, and later murdered her husband, Fred. The story takes place in the early 1930s.
Dolly is a bored and unhappy housewife married to Fred, a successful businessman who is frequently away on business trips. One day, she calls in a repairman, Otto, to fix a furnace. The two quickly become infatuated with one another and begin a torrid affair.
To conceal their relationship, Otto moves into the Oesterreichs' attic, where he lives for several years, secretly coming down to see Dolly when Fred is away. The two carry on their affair right under Fred's nose, until one day Dolly decides she wants to be with Otto permanently and conspires to murder her husband.
The murder is carried out, and Dolly and Otto flee Milwaukee, eventually settling in Los Angeles. The police eventually catch up with them, and they are both tried and convicted of murder.
The Lover in the Attic stars Molly Burnett as Dolly, Kevin Fonteyne as Otto, and David Fierro as Fred. It was directed by Melora Walters and written by Gary Tieche. The film received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its performances and attention to period detail, while others criticized its slow pace and lack of suspense. Despite these criticisms, The Lover in the Attic remains a popular choice among true crime fans and Lifetime movie aficionados.
