Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini

I had followed the case of Sherri Papini through a true crime podcaster that I watch. The case fascinated me, that a woman would go to such lengths as what Papini did with her fake kidnapping, that I thought I must check out the movie.

Right from the start I was aware that the acting was very flat as was the story telling. I am usually a fan of Jaime King, I love her as Rose in the series Black Summer, however I really struggled to watch her portray Sherri Papini. I struggled with all the cast.

For a movie based on a true crime I was very disappointed. I hope someone else has a crack at turning this story into a film.

I've been looking forward to seeing this since it was first announced that it was a hoax. I smelled it when it first happened, I knew that the story Sherry Papini told was completely implausible. I don't ever expect Oscar level performances from TV movies, but Jamie King's performance was so awful, it was distracting. Josh Collins as Keith Papini was okay, but he overacted the "borderline abusive husband" role to such a degree that it ruined any sense of sympathy for him, when in reality, I felt that the real Keith was the true victim in this whole story. I thought the actress who played the investigator did a decent job, but otherwise, the only excuse I think of for how badly the movie was as a whole, was that it must have been directed by a seventh grader. Such a disappointment.

Im not a fan of these sort of TV movies but once in a while there is a little gem out there... This wasn't one of them.

It at times can be pretty awful and inane to occasionally passable as a drama. Jaime French is about the only good thing in this and thats barely.

Everyone goes through the motions and tells this day by day account of a true story I knew nothing about. After watching this i had no interest in finding out more.

The psychology of something like this I'd probably find interesting but the story in itself is pretty dull or its made out to be dull.

If you are really bored and really want to watch a reenactment of this true story then you might get something out of it, sadly not for me

3 or 4 out of 10.

What or whose perspective is this story? The public? The husband? The direction of the story appears to shift blame to an inattentive husband. He over reacts, underreacts, seems wooden- offish. She a woman described as 'perfect' 'vivacious', 'energetic' 'put together', is portrayed as someone who would be described as dull, disheveled, is conveyed so differently-"depressed, Bored, abused, on the verge of a breakdown?" There is little to no depiction of the torture her husband endured, nor is there empathy.

Don't waste your time.

It's not the acting as eluded to in a previous review. It's the story arc. There's no point of view, no empathy, & the personalities too off.

Sherri Papini (Jaime King) is stressed trying to be the perfect wife to Keith (Matt Hamilton) and the perfect mother to her two kids. She has a contentious relationship with her mother. She is out jogging in the park when she's taken. It's actually her ex Chris (Josh Collins) and she's a cooperating partner. The kidnapping becomes big news and a big police search. Sherri and Chris orchestrates her supposed escape from two Hispanic women. Years later, her story falls apart.

I remember this case although I didn't remember the old boyfriend. For whatever reason, this Lifetime movie feels flat. I had hopes that I would love Jaime King's performance. She's always been great fun. This role is different and she's almost robotic. I never get a sense of her character. Also, the story is known from the start and none of it holds any surprise. All of it adds up to a flat telling of the story.