Black Girl Missing (2023 Lifetime)
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Cast: Garcelle Beauvais, Linda Park, Iyana Halley, Taylor Mosby, Cleo Fraser, Noah Fearnley, Zack Gold
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
When Cheryl gets into an argument with her daughter Lauren over her desire to drop out of college, she initially thinks Lauren is simply ignoring her calls and texts, but Cheryl soon realizes Lauren is missing. While she attempts to get help from authorities and the media, they quickly dismiss the case, labeling Lauren as a runaway while they are all too consumed with another case–that of a missing white girl. Desperate to find Lauren, Cheryl and her 15-year-old daughter Marley enlist the help of a dedicated community of amateur internet sleuths to try to find Lauren. Cheryl also discovers the Black and Missing Foundation and is horrified to discover the disparity in how missing persons of color cases are treated with significant lack of media attention and law enforcement resources. Stars Garcelle Beauvais, Iyana Halley, Taylor Mosby, Linda Park, and Cleo Fraser (2023).
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Inspired by actual stories of missing women of color.
Cheryl has a nightmare about searching the woods for her missing daughter Lauren. The dream frightens her awake, and she checks on her daughter, who sleeps soundly in her bed. (Oh, sike, Lauren calls a man in the middle of the night and wants to meet up!)
Lauren’s little sister Marley is enjoying the time Lauren is spending at home for the college break. Marley asks her sister for advice about boys and school and looks up to her big sister. While Lauren does her sister’s braids, Lauren’s phone messages keep going off from the guy she is keeping a secret.
Cheryl fixes breakfast and grills Lauren about college; Lauren says she is unhappy at school and wants to drop out. This spawns a huge fight. Lauren tries to explain that she is depressed and Cheryl can’t understand. (The older Black community often struggles with suspicion of mental health and therapy as a resource.) Cheryl says that Lauren’s dead father would be rolling over in his grave. Lauren storms off and doesn’t contact her family again.
After two days, Cheryl calls Lauren and says the radio silence is unacceptable. Things with Marley are going well, either. Her mom, the new Vice Principal of her new school, is making Marley a target of bullying.
In the teacher’s lounge, Cheryl tries to tune out her worries as a news story about a missing girl, Jessica Russo, plays on the TV. Jessica is missing and a suspected victim of a serial killer. Her co-workers find the news story riveting.
Marley notices that Lauren’s social media has gone dark, and she has been waiting to hear from her sister for days. Cheryl calls everyone she can think of, and they haven’t heard from Lauren—even her JERK manager from the College coffee shop.
Cheryl goes to Lauren’s dorm and is surprised when Lauren’s roommate, Annie, says she has yet to return from college break. Campus security and local police think Lauren has run away.
After reviewing the campus footage, Detectives call Cheryl into the station to ask questions about Lauren’s drug use. Cheryl is rightfully annoyed that the detectives are more interested in painting Lauren as a criminal than finding a missing Black woman. The Detective even suggests that Cheryl should make flyers and social media because they don’t have the resources to search for Lauren.
Elisa, a local reporter, is tasked with talking to Cheryl, who has called the new station multiple times. Elisa believes Cheryl and offers to include Lauren’s photo in the five o’clock news round-up, but she can only dedicate a little airtime. Cheryl and Marley don’t understand why no one will take them seriously.
10 days missing- Marley posts on online forums and asks amateur sleuths to help. She connects with a 16-year-old nerd who gives advice about how to crack Lauren’s social media sites.
Meanwhile, Cheryl hands out flyers on campus and stops at the coffee shop to talk to that jerk boss. He has a black eye, which becomes even more suspicious when a co-worker tells Cheryl that the boss Eddy harasses his employees. The co-worker also says Annie is someone Cheryl should talk to.
Cheryl keeps in touch with Elisa, who tells Cheryl to get more evidence. Cheryl sneaks into Lauren’s dorm and sees messages on Annie’s phone about DMs she doesn’t want to be leaked.
Marley hacks into Lauren’s Instagram and finds threatening messages from Annie. Cheryl prints the cyberbullying and goes back to the neglectful Detective. Detective Dean questions Annie, and she has a solid alibi—the same with Eddy, the jerk boss.
The search for Lauren continues, and some of the teachers help search for Lauren, but only till a certain point in the night because they have to work the next day! (Bitches! Speaking of the friends, is Mackenzie Phillips playing Susan? )
Annie agrees to talk to Cheryl and tells her that Lauren is depressed. There was one guy that Lauren talked to named Ian. Marley stalks his social media and discovers he works at a local record store.
Cheryl goes to the story and finds Ian. He is hot and probably a killer, but also he is HOT. Only his name isn’t Ian; it is Charlie. When Cheryl shows him Ian’s profile, he realizes that someone is using his photos as a catfish. Charlie is horrified and says he will make a police report.
Elisa starts researching missing Black and Brown girls in the area. She discovers that six women have gone missing and brings it to her boss, who shuts down the story. It won’t bring in ratings. Cheryl contacts Loretta from the Black and Missing Foundation. Loretta advocates therapy and self-care for Cheryl.
Meanwhile, Marley and the internet nerd make a fake profile and Match with the catfish, this time Robert.
Lauren has been missing for 16 days. A local church shows up for a candlelight vigil for Lauren, and it gets attention. Cheryl and Marley are overwhelmed with emotions and speak to the crowd. They chant, “do more.”
Marley sets up a meeting with the catfish, and Cheryl goes to find the SOB who took her daughter. The car waiting has stolen plates, and Cheryl tracks the car. She follows it to a remote cabin in the woods. Cheryl is shocked to find Lauren tied up inside.
Marley sends a fishing link to the man to find his location and send the police.
Lauren is weak but can move with help. Cheryl gets her daughter out of the house but is dragged back inside by the kidnapper. Cheryl fights him off as police rush to the scene.
The catfish kidnapper is arrested, and Detective Dean arrives to ask Lauren questions. Everyone goes to therapy.
Cheryl does a national interview and talks about the marginalized women targeted by the Catfish Killer. She points out the countless missing Black women and girls who are still missing.
Those women are:
Relisha Rudd – Last Seen March 1st, 2014
Allyssa Jennings – Last Seen May 30th, 2022
Nia Glenn-Lopez – Last Seen October 1st, 2016
Mya Barnes – Last Seen May 18th, 2017
Keir Johnson – Last Seen April 30th, 2017
Jaya Allen – Last Seen July 15th, 2021
Starletta Henderson – Last Seen November 28th, 2012
Side Note
Minority Report: Cheryl, Lauren, Marley, Elisa, Loretta, Tanisha,
This is a great example of Lifetime at its best. Featuring a mother fighting to save her daughter, the movie brings light to a subject that is important and is a passion project for a B-List Actress who stars and serves as EP.
I understand that the movie was making a larger point, but I would have appreciated a motive for the kidnapping or some type of wrap-up on WTF happened to Lauren or a quick flashback.
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Overall rating
Number of Kills:
Not that kind of Lifetime Movie
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷🍷🍷🍷
Should you watch it?
Pour it up! (Give it a shot)
Put a Cork in It (Skip It)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media @LifetimeUncorked & @patrickmiguel
*Photo Credit: © 2023 Lifetime® | A+E Networks®
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