‘Girl In The Picture’ (2022) Review – Every New Development Will Leave You Speechless

Girl in the Picture (2022)

Directed By: Skye Borgman

Starring: Joe Fritzpatrick, Dana Mackin, Sarah French

Plot Summary: A young mother named Sharon is senselessly killed in a hit and run accident. What is first suspected to be a road accident, turns out to be a case of foul play. To make matters worse, Sharon’s son Michael is kidnapped from his foster home. These events set off a twisted chain of events that left many people shocked. Skye Borgman (Abducted in Plain Sight) unfolds another strange case in this new true crime documentary.

Are you looking for something to shove into those eyeballs after the binge worthy fourth season of Stranger Things? Well, Netflix, the OG streaming service, has got you covered with a new true crime documentary Girl In The Picture. Director Skye Borgman is no stranger to directing gonzo true crime for Netflix. Her 2017 doc Abducted In Plain Sight is a fantastic film and one that has stuck with me since its release. She also did a recent true crime film for Hulu called Dead Asleep.

From the outset, before I deep-dive into this completely insane story, I wanted to mention a few things. While the film is not graphic in terms of photos or footage, the subject is. Topics such as kidnapping, incest and assault, both psychological and sexual, are present, though done in a very tactful way. It’s also very much a film that requires your strict attention. Much like Abducted in Plain Sight, Borgman’s film is truly a case of fact being stranger than fiction. Indeed, the movie takes so many twists and turns that is nearly impossible not to be engaged throughout. Just when you think the story couldn’t get any weirder, the filmmakers present you with another baffling thread in this spider’s web of lies, abuse and ultimately murder. Seriously, every new development will leave you speechless.

The film also has an overall high-quality polish that comes from yes, a healthy budget, but more importantly from a filmmaker that knows exactly how to make a story really come to life. This is done in a few ways, such as adding visual flourishes like animation, rare photos and archival home video and news footage. Interviews with the suspected killer is chilling to say the least. Further bringing this story to life is an array of subjects that are intimately involved in this bizarre case. Interviewees are engaging and candid, helping to propel the narrative forward. What we get is lean efficient storytelling that only an old-pro like Borgman can provide. Borgman as always handles the subject matter in a way that feels very respectful and never in a way that feels like gross exploitation. Even as the more sensational aspects of the crime are unfolded, it is done in a manner that doesn’t dilute the horror, but at the same time it never unduly languishes in it either.

While this movie deserves a lot of praise, it’s far from perfect. Even though I think this movie is engaging enough to satiate most casual crime buffs, it may lead to some serious sleuthing blue-balls for the hardcore crime fans. This is because key elements still don’t make sense, which is difficult to mention without huge spoilers. Sure, I don’t think everything needs to be wrapped up in a neat bow, that’s just not life. However, major pieces to the story still feel missing, and therefore it comes off as a bit sloppy. It almost feels like the film started out with bigger ambitions and hit a dead-end mid shooting.

Girl In The Picture may have its issues, but damned if I still didn’t find it thrilling and truly engaging.

Girl In The Picture is currently available to stream on Netflix.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnJ4BGNpby8]