The Girl Who Got Away

**The Girl Who Got Away** took me by surprise in the best way. I wasn't expecting to get so pulled into the story, but from the opening moments, I found myself completely invested. What I loved most was how the movie kept me guessing-it wasn't just a straightforward thriller, but one that really dove into the psychology of its characters.

Lexi Johnson's performance as Christina/Katie felt so real. You could sense the weight of her trauma in every scene, but she was never portrayed as just a victim. She had this quiet strength, and I was rooting for her the whole time. The small-town setting made everything feel claustrophobic, which added to the tension. The film had this eerie atmosphere, almost like the town itself was a character and existed outside time if that makes sense. .

There were twists that I didn't see coming, and I love when a movie manages to keep me on my toes like that. It wasn't just about the scares (though there were definitely some), but also about how the past can come back to haunt you in ways you never expect. It got under my skin and had me thinking about it long after the credits rolled.

If you're looking for a thriller that's more than just jump scares-one that makes you feel something and keeps you guessing-**The Girl Who Got Away** is worth watching.

No pun intended - the movie starts off with us in the woods ... and it has a few shockers at hand. We see someone running away ... and while the father is trying to avoid to actually do something ... he decides to "help" - whatever that would mean for him and his kid.

From the start we know there is more to the movie and the characters than meets the eye. And of course another inciting incident will help the movie to roll along many years after the initial beginning of it. Relationships get explored, twists are being thrown at you .. and there is a bit of fun to be had. Though it mostly is suspense to say the least. Well done, especially considering the budget that the movie has.

This was an interesting one and done for me. You have to be patient as it is quite slow moving, but it does move and slowly reveal some twists and turns in the plot. If you want full on terror and horror, then you may not be so thrilled here. :( The acting was pretty good and the storyline was creepy, but they really didn't let us see what happen all those years to those girls, so that was left to your imagination. Which I found irritating.

Overall, a decent slow burn mystery that people with patience and not here for a gore-fest will probably enjoy watching, at least once.

It's a mess. And it's a real shame.

The opening 20 minutes or so are very strong and you think you're in good hands. While the film is (reasonably) low-budget the visuals are good throughout (as is the sound design) and the premise is pretty intriguing - you don't know where the story is going and you want to know more (those first 5 minutes or so are particularly effective). Clearly, much time and effort has gone into the presentation of the whole thing.

But as things progress real weaknesses begin to show. The main bulk of the story happens over a few days and during this time several events occur that would shake a city, let alone a small town. Yet we're not even given the sense that the community is even aware that these things have happened; there's absolutely no gravity to them.

And as the film goes on more and more is obviously demanded of the actors, the director and the script in order to sell the escalating events to the audience - but all these things are seriously lacking (with the exception of Chukwudi Iwuji who plays the cop; he's genuinely impressive and the real standout here).

Immediately after being subjected to something shocking and brutal, characters will behave and talk in ways that seem muted and unbelievable (it's partly the writing, partly the direction). Occasionally some scenes, tonally, skew off in directions that seem weird and out of place (there's a couple of scenes that feel like they're been yoinked out of the Friday the 13th franchise and just dropped in here and they don't work).

Some of the supporting characters are clearly played by non-actors. This is only a little distracting in the first half, but later the film really leans on some of them - and they're not able to do what they need to do. Ultimately none of this matters as the endgame is completely broken. If the script had delivered all of this would be forgiven.

The writing is decent until it really needs to get hold of the audience and communicate just how frantic, oppressive and urgent things are supposed to be getting - and it's then that we find the film doesn't know how to convincingly do these things. More than that - it just starts getting silly.

And as we approach the end of the film it just unravels into a daft mess and the sense of mystery and intrigue gives way to a series of tiresome twists that aren't surprising or involving. Instead be prepared to be bemused and a little bored.

There was real promise here, but a very good start makes the inept final act feel even worse than it usually would.

Technically it's generally very good with an assured sense of style and it will be interesting to see what the director does next. Hopefully someone will cast Chukwudi Iwuji in something befitting his talents - he deserves to be in something better than this.

Disappointing.

We are introduced to Christina, the only survivor of a house of horrors. Although there is gore, this is really not a horror movie. Elizabeth Caulfield kidnapped children, each one a year after the previous one, and killed all but Christina. Christina is making a new life for herself as a teacher, when Elizabeth Caulfield escapes during a traffic accident while being transferred. Police are certain she will track down Christina, but Christina won't run, saying "she took everything from me once. I can't let that happen again." It is a small town, and one officer, Jamie, winds up trying to protect her. Jamie perhaps plays the best role of any of them, and he starts to realize that not everything adds up, and goes over the case. He finds there are lots of secrets. As the search for Elizabeth continues, the body count in that small town starts to climb, almost anyone who is connected with Christina. While there is a simmering pot at the start, it slowly starts to raise to a boil. And those are some of the problems with the film. Whether it is the script, the editing or characters, it gets confusing near the end. It is however, worth staying to the end.