Director: Lauren Fash

Writer: Lauren Fash and Susan Graham

Starring: Robyn Lively, Shanola Hampton, Michael Trucco, Bethany Anne Lind, Judith Ivey, Kerry Cahill, and Cece King

Rating: ★★★½

Disappearance at Lake Elrod is a mystery thriller. Charlie’s (Robyn Lively) daughter has been missing for a while, and she feels like the police have given up on her. When another young girl goes missing, Charlie is thrown under suspicion. She believes the police don’t really care about the truth, and the potential that the two missing children cases are linked, they just want to pin her for the crime. Taking matters into her own hands, with a journalist, Amy (Shanola Hampton), Charlie starts her own investigation into the missing children.

The film starts out like a typical thriller, but there is a twist later in the film that puts the whole thing into a new perspective. The best thing about the twist is that there are clues all the way through that point to it. When you’re first watching it, there are a few things that won’t sit right, then the twist is revealed, and those moments make so much more sense. It’s a great twist that you won’t see coming.

Other than the twist, this is a typical thriller. The main characters follow the clues and that leads them to the next clue while they narrow down the suspects. There’s nothing that out of the ordinary to be found here, until the twist happens. It’s still well made, with a decent mystery that keeps you invested. Charlie is an interesting character and Robyn Lively gives a good performance.

This is an engrossing film, even though you’ve probably seen things very similar to it beforehand, it still grabs your attention. The tension builds as you try to figure out who the killer is alongside the main characters. When the twist happens, even though the main mystery isn’t over, the film does feel like it hits a brick wall. It’s a good twist, but there’s still half an hour left, and the film really slows down. Thankfully, it picks up again for the final sequence which satisfyingly answers all questions you’ve had up to that point.

Disappearance at Lake Elrod, which is also known as Through the Glass Darkly in other countries, is a decent thriller. The mystery grabs your attention, and you really want to find out what happens. It falters a little with its unoriginality and pacing issues, but the characters and twist are compelling enough to make this a gripping story.

Disappearance at Lake Elrod will be released on Digital Download and on DVD in the UK & EIRE from Nov 1st. Pre-order now on Amazon and AppleTV

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