Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter

A beautiful examination of a mom's pursuit to unearth the truth. Meticulous research. Beautifully displayed. This story stays with you. The only criticism would be it is such a captivating story I sense that with a little less Netflix paint by numbers storytelling and a little more artistry - this could've been 2020s The Thin Blue Line. Not being dismissive but the "walk into the fire" theme felt like a 13 year old trying to wrap a lame poem around a very serious and heart wrenching story. All said, I've been sat here thinking about the events, the characters, and the failure of the state to protect this poor little girl... it's a harrowing entry into true crime.

I am ADDICTED to true crime, like pretty much everyone, but this story is such a heartfelt one. It shows the incredible bond between a mother and daughter that only had 8 months in each other's lives before the daughter was given up for adoption. Cathy is such an amazing, hilarious, force to be reckoned with. She partners up with an "armchair" detective Carl who has helped solve a few unsolved murders with his extreme passion for justice and spreadsheets. It is truly God ordained that this story came together the way it did and as soon as you see all the circumstances that have to happen, you will know how true that is.

This gripping story has so many tragic twists and turns. It shows what can be achieved through sheer persistence and sharp intuition. Cathy is a mother on a mission to seek the truth and justice for her daughter. She is relentless, sharply intuitive and won't stop at any cost to get it. There are so many interesting themes this documentary explores; including loyalty, sacrifice and the strength of blood connection.

This story is so well told and captivating from the very beginning. I became so emotionally invested in Cathy's pursuit for justice and my heart goes out to her and the families of all victims. Must watch.

As the mother of a little girl I had such a hard time watching this story. It is completely captivating and Cathy is an incredible woman. It's rare that a true crime documentary grabs me in this way without leaving me sad and stressed. The way the story unfolded and the reveals felt natural and welcome, not overblown or manufactured. The story is just actually that shocking.

So many themes are present that are timely in today's world - the myth that all adoption stories are full of hope and positivity; the way women in abusive marriages are brainwashed to ignore, deny and defend the abuser's behaviour; how the policing and justice system fails missing, abused and murdered women every single day.

The 'reenactment' B-roll scenes were cheesy and unnecessary, and the format would have been better split into 4 shorter episodes, as the two halves both felt like they had natural split points. Otherwise, very successful. Highly recommend.

Cathy gave up a 10-month old daughter for adoption. What might have been a self-less act for the best for the child was a hole for Cathy. Years later she discovers the child she entrusted to others as a teen went missing with no resolution. Cathy embarks on a seemingly hopeless mission to find resolution in an extremely cold case. Cathy's drive and pain comes through as palpable. It goes into overdrive as Cathy learns more and more about the couple who adopted her child. Cathy, as if through some kind of power only a birth mother can have, knows in her heart who killed her missing child. This is her gut-wrenching story.

I have let little out of the so-called "bag" here. That would be a disservice to the excellent filmmakers here. They have done an amazing job of making what would be an old forgotten missing person's case into a dogged pursuit for closure and justice. Along the way they have captured the unique elements that only the long-game can reveal. Those elements, each of them, are often pain-infused, frustrating, and even highly unlikely to cohere into a kind of final resolution and justice. This is a harrowing ride, but one that due to some inexplicable mother's bond finally comes to a just end. I give the filmmakers the highest honor as to realistically documenting the journey of finally solving this missing child case.