I have to say that this has to be one of the better TV movies on offer. Not only does it have a good storyline, which is both plot and character driven, but it has a really good cast and is very well directed.
The story is set around the disappearance of Kaitlin (Davidovici) and her friend Matty (Golightly) while on a family supervised Spring Break. The story is set in real time but we get flashbacks which tell the tale of the vanishing girls, through the eyes of the witnesses who met them that night. I'm not a fan of "the flashback", however, the director Miele handles them brilliantly and interweaves them into the story effortlessly.
Though what makes this such a good story and film is the characterisations of the mothers. Rene (Zuniga) is Kaitlin's mum and is constantly looking over her daughter's shoulder to make sure that she is safe and well. This can result in her being overcontrolling at times. As a result, she's the one who worries the most and at the earliest opportunity. Whereas Lisa (Bowles) is a little bit freer with her daughter, she's the one that buys her condoms - her thought system is that you cannot look out for your kids all the time, but you can try and keep them safe. So when the girls go missing she's not too overly worried as she believes they've just been out partying all night. She remembers what it was like to be eighteen and on spring break. These two different characters work well off of each other. The two women have been friends since high school, though this night is going to test their friendship to its limit.
The next good thing is the story. This is well written and is filled with believable characters and authentic situations and narrative. There are a couple of scene's which are a little hard to swallow as you can't fully believe them - but it is a couple, so they are easily overlooked. What really helps this film is the fact that as the story progresses and unfolds you never really find out the complete tale until the climax of the movie. This is a great thing as it keeps the viewers glued to the screens with anticipation.
As for the actors and actresses, I cannot fault them at all. They each give a realistic portrayal of their characters.
I would gladly recommend this film to everybody who likes thrillers and mysteries as it's packed with both.
