The topic of trafficking and prostitution has been brought to cinema in many forms. A difficult topic to tell a story around while avoiding the pitfalls of titillation, explicit content or exploitation in the process of illustrating what happens in the seedy world of trafficking. Many films struggle to find the line, either delving into making their own exploitation porn in the process or dubiously hiding behind the justification of art while the actors are exploited themselves. Angie: Lost Girls is a breath of emotional fresh air, dwelling on the psychological effects of trafficking on the victims and their families and the manipulation and struggles that make it such a serious and elusive crime.
Angie is a happy suburban girl, with providing parents and a good relationship with her sister. She is targeted by a trafficking ring and moments of weakness are exploited while entering into a secret relationship. She is misled into a meeting that turns into a nightmare as she is abused and trafficked against her will. Films of this vein are often heavy handed on the subversive guy and the harrowing tale of their escape. In this case, the film focuses on the tracking and capture of traffickers, and Angie's experience is one of many perspectives shared.
The camera work is excellent and most of the actors deliver solid performances, especially Jane Widdop as Angie. Lighting is also well handled, working with the director's vision of handling hard circumstances without crossing the line into explicit content and creating distinct feeling to the sets. This film is proof that content can be and is often more emotionally impactful when not explicitly shown.
There are many films in this genre, but few accurately portray the methodology, the effects and the struggles of trafficking. Some would argue that the circumstances of the film are hokey at times, and the criticism may be correct that there are some scenes that feel rushed, but the circumstances are real, they happen and are worth a watch.
