Olivia 1983

In London, five-year-old Olivia witnesses her prostitute mother’s murder by a sadomasochistic American soldier; the soldier disposes of the body by throwing it into the River Thames off the London Bridge.

Fifteen years later, [Olivia] is unhappy in a marriage with a domineering husband, who forbids her to work. She is haunted by memories and hears her mother’s voice guiding her decisions. While he is away one night, Olivia dresses provocatively and returns to the streets as a prostitute. She lures a client back to his home, ties him up, and reenacts the murder scenario, beating the man to death with a vase.

Meanwhile, Michael Grant, an American engineer from Los Angeles, is visiting London to work on restoration of the London Bridge. He encounters Olivia walking beneath the bridge and invites her to his hotel for drinks. They share an emotional connection and have passionate sex. The next day, Olivia returns home and is raped by the husband. The affair between Olivia and Michael continues in secret, until Richard discovers them on the London Bridge. In a scuffle, Richard is thrown over the railing into the river, and Olivia flees.

Four years later, Michael has returned to the United States and resides in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where the dismantled bridge pieces have been reassembled to span the Colorado River. An upscale housing development opens nearby, drawing visitors. The local tourism is overseen by Jenny, a tourism ambassador who bears a striking resemblance to Olivia. Convinced that Jenny is the same woman, Michael pursues her; she denies meeting before, but the pair begin a passionate romance.

Jenny asks Michael to meet her on the bridge, where she finally reveals she is Olivia. The romance continues, but Michael begins to notice Olivia making vague references to her mother being “angry” with her, and he hears her talking to herself.

One night, before Olivia returns home, Michael is murdered by an unseen assailant in the bathroom, who impales him through the throat with a toothbrush. Olivia returns home and lies in bed with what she believes to be Michael, only to find it is Richard, who survived his fall and has followed her to the United States. He forces himself back into her life, moving into her home and taking control.

A few days later, a group of children boating in the river find Michael’s corpse. Richard moves back into Olivia’s life, reentering her home and exerting control. In a final confrontation, Olivia stabs him to death with a butcher knife and hides his body in a steamer trunk, dumping it into the Colorado River beneath the bridge. As she watches the trunk sink, Olivia recalls her mother reading her bedtime tales and telling her that one day she would find a prince.