Searching for a Serial Killer: The Regina Smith Story (2024 Lifetime)
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Cast: Ella Quashie, Christopher Russell
Director: Wendy Ord
Writer(s): Conor Allyn, Benjamin Anderson
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
Karrueche Tran plays inspirational real life hero Regina Smith. A single mother determined to provide a safer world for her daughter, Regina joins the Dallas Police Department. As a rookie, Regina and her partner Eddie (Blair Penner) stumble upon the first victim of what would be many murders of female prostitutes by the notorious serial killer, Charles Albright (Ted Cole) whom the media dubbed “The Eyeball Killer,” because he surgically removed the eyes of his victims. Despite only being months into the job and a woman in a profession dominated by men, Regina risks everything to get involved in the case. She discovers crucial evidence missed by FBI and city homicide detectives that lands her on the doorstep of a satanic killer.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Based on true events
Regina Smith grew up in an abusive home; she struggles with the memories while raising her daughter, Nikki, and ending an abusive relationship herself with an ex named Carter. Regina promises to keep her daughter safe. To do that, Regina enlists in the police force. She attempts to, but her car breaks down, and she has to walk to her interview. She bumps into a handsome SWAT guy named Norm, who helps her to her class.
Regina shows up to her first class, looking like Elle Woods, and the other cadets roll their eyes at her. She struggles in basic training but works to improve and impress the teacher and her classmates. Gina shows her uniform to her mother and daughter, who think it is excellent. Gina is a rookie and on the night shift. She has her friend and mother watch Nikki at night.
It is a dangerous job, and Gina is punched in the face by a perp. The chief wants them to crack down on crackheads, but Regina is more worried about the prostitutes working the streets. She wants to board up a junkie house and finds one of the call girls dead in front of the house. The girl is a friend of Gina’s from high school, Mary Pratt. (Her eyes have been removed, and it is very disturbing.) Regina has trouble handing the case over to Homicide and letting it go.
Gina tries to talk to the other girls and dissuade them from ending up like Mary. There turns out to be a guy who the girls have noticed is particularly violent. One lady of the night takes them to a guy named Brian, who fought off the violent John before things could go any further. It seems Like Gina is the only person who cares, and news reports of the killings end up buried in the paper.
Norm sees Gina while she takes in an inmate and introduces himself. He asks for her number, and Regina tells him she loves God and her daughter and will only give her her number if she can get down. Norm agrees. Gina checks with he daughter before she starts dating.
The violent John picks up another sex worker and tells her that her big, beautiful eyes are going to bug out. Susan Peterson is his next victim. The homicide detectives get upset when they learn that Gina and her partner, Eddie, have been working the streets trying to get information. (That doesn’t stop them!)
Gina goes on her first date with Norm, and she is surprised when he invites Nikki to come along for a picnic and go fishing. Gina is impressed with Norm and how good he is with kids. They spend more and more time together, and Gina opens up to Norm about the killer on her patrol block targeting sex workers who no one cares about. Norm tells Gina she has a superpower, connects with people, and cares a lot. He wants to be with her as she improves the world.
Eddie and Gina trail to a car and see John being violent with a girl. They approach the car and arrest the man, but another man in the same car drives by.
Norm proposes to Gina while Nikki catches fireflies in the backyard. It is totally swoon-worthy because Chris Russell is so damn fine. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, but until then, I will enjoy this romantic, sexy time scene that they have, complete with candles and soft white drapes blowing in the wind. The police department celebrates Gina and Norm’s engagement, and everyone is happy for them.
Norm moves in and helps Gina raise Nikki. He also cooks. So, he is perfect.
We see the guy driving the white car take a sex worker to a cliff and almost shoot her. He changes his heart and leaves her alone to walk home instead. His name is Fred, and he is dating Gina’s babysitter.
We see Fred pick up a black girl named Shirley outside of the MO. She is the third sex worker murdered, shot in the back. The news calls the killer “the eyeball killer.”
Gina and Eddie work overtime to catch the killer, leaving Norm to care for Nikki and bring his wife tacos. It seems lovely until Norm is shot and killed on the force. Gina promises Nikki she will stay safe.
Fred is also into taxidermy as a hobby, and his girlfriend thinks it is creepy. Fred opens up about his mother being a sex worker and how much he hated her for abandoning him. Gina and Eddie show up at his home after determining that his name is Charlie and that he has a long rap sheet. Gina excuses herself to the restroom and finds the creepy taxidermy room with a portrait of a woman with no eyes.
Fred/Charlie is onto them and almost pulls a shotgun on them, but Gina can sense things are off and gets herself and Eddie out of there. She calls for backup, and SWAT moves in. Gina reads him his Miranda rights and arrests him for the murder of three women.
Gina and Eddie get promoted for a job well done, and he will not fill in Norm’s shoes, but he will try! Gina served on the service for 23 more years.
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
Shame on this movie for making me think Christopher Russell could be anything but AMAZING!
Overall rating
Number of Kills: 🔪🔪🔪 (3 knives)
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 Glasses of Wine)
Should you watch it?
Pour it Up (Give it a shot!)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media at @LifetimeUncorked and @patrickmiguel.
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