Girl Who Vanished (2025 Lifetime Movie)
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Cast: Rylee Reagan, Isabella Carlsen, Chelsea Gilson
Director: David Benullo
Writer(s): Daniel West
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
Lily and her parents are shocked when Emily, abducted when she was just a child, is found and returned to the family.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
The movie begins with old photographs of two sisters, Lily and Emily, as they go through a normal childhood. Then these images are intercut with crime scene photos from the day Emily went missing.
Fast forward to the present, Lily is a rebellious teen, weary of living in the shadow of Emily’s disappearance and dealing with her overprotective divorced parents, Kate and Matt, who share custody of Lily.
Their lives take a dramatic turn when the police call to inform them that Emily has been found, a decade after her abduction, at a gas station. She was raised by someone named Uncle Bobby and has developed Stockholm Syndrome. The therapist tells them that Emily is suppressing her trauma and should be in therapy as she reacclimates to life. The police offer a DNA test, but the family says they will TAKE CARE OF IT LATER?!?! (WHAT?!?!?)
The story becomes a media sensation, and the press camp outside their home. When Emily comes inside, she is surprised to see that nothing has changed, not even her childhood bedroom. Emily requests pancakes (Her favorite) and holds a stuffed bunny named Pinky. Kate wants to pretend like they are still a family for just one night, no need to bring up the whole divorce thing! They even throw Emily a birthday party!
Lily asks Emily what she remembers and wants the man who took Emily to be caught and brought to justice. Emily seems reluctant to say bad things about Uncle Bobby. Later, in therapy, Emily is vague about the details and protective against her abductor. The therapist shares with Kate that Emily shows no signs of trauma, which is unusual.
A podcaster, Naomi (AKA me), wants to talk to Emily. On her show, she talks to survivors and showcases the strength of the human spirit. Kate declines the offer, but does take her card!
Lily starts to have serious doubts about her “Sister” when Emily suddenly develops a coconut allergy. Lily asks her mother if they have done the DNA test, and Kate gets defensive. Kate wants to believe Emily is who she claims to be and doesn’t want to entertain the thought. Lily convinces her sister to do the podcast because it might help others.
The podcast recording goes terribly after Emily can’t answer basic questions, sending Lily into a panic that Emily is conning her family. Lily calls Naomi to talk about the inconsistencies in Emily’s story. They set up a meeting, and Emily overhears. Let’s just say Naomi is NOT keeping that appointment, RIP.
The detective who worked on Emily’s case also believes that the numbers don’t add up. He agrees with Lily. Emily is not back, and whoever is pretending to be her is a liar. He tells Lily that Emily’s blood type is B positive and suggests she find something unique that could incriminate her “sister”. Lily obtains the DNA test from Emily and submits it herself to ensure there is no tampering.
The therapist wants to try hypnosis on Emily because the signs of trauma have not presented themselves. The therapist worries that Emily could have violent outbreaks.
When the DNA test comes back positive, Lily has to be creative and starts to catch Emily in little white lies. The relationship between the sisters is strained. Emily tells Lily to just accept that they could be just one big happy family. Lily decides to talk to the therapist herself and asks her mom to make an appointment. Lily needs to stop trying to meet up with people, because the therapist is wacked in the parking lot the night before.
Lily tries to tie all the strange things happening together to her mother. Kate is surprised to learn that Lily is working with the former detective on the case. That detective was let go from the police force after harassing Kate and Matt and accusing them of doing something to Emily themselves. Kate is offended that Lily would believe him over her own mother.
Emily is working with a guy named T.J. He is her boyfriend and has been helping her pull off the deception. They plan to reunite at a support group and start dating again. Emily planned the whole thing to get access to the family’s money. Since T.J. wants to be cut in, his trailer is burned down, and he with it.
Lily has an altercation with the detective after he lurks outside her school. He tells her to look for an addition to the house. She doubts everything and looks through her dad’s stuff in the trunk of his car. There is a gas canister and muddy boots.
Someone messages the detective from Lily’s phone and makes an appointment. We all know what happens when Lily makes appointments. RIP detective! (He should have checked the back seat.)
It’s straight out of a Hitchcock movie: Lily notices a flower bed and starts digging. Emily’s body is there. Kate was trying to get Emily to bed, and a struggle ensued. Emily fell down the stairs, and Kate covered it up by making it look like an abduction. Kate has been going along with Emily’s lie because it would reveal the truth.
Kate knocks Lily out with a shovel and drags her to the basement. Kate has known Emily was lying all along and taking care of anyone close to exposing the truth. Kate wants to take Emily in, but Emily is starting to have doubts about the family dynamic. (Haha, understandable!) So Kate knocks Emily out, too, and starts a gas leak.
Lily and Fake Emily stop their mother, and Emily ends up in jail. Kate ends up in a mental hospital and is incapable of standing trial. Lily visits Emily in jail and learns her real name is Rachel.
STRAY Thoughts
I’m surprised Lifetime didn’t try and pass this off as “inspired by True Events.”
Overall rating
Number of Kills:🔪🔪🔪(3 knives)
Lifetime Tropes: Long Lost relative, Sisters, Mommy Dearest,
Enjoyment Level (1-5 scale)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 Glasses of Wine)
Should you watch it?
Pour It Up (Give it a shot)
What are your thoughts on the mo ie? I’d love to hear from you. Share your comments or connect with me on social media at @LifetimeUncorked and @patrickmiguel. Your perspective is valuable.
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*Photo Credit: © 2025 A&E Television Networks, LLC
Let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments below or @lifetimeuncorked
They need to make a movie where a long-missing kid returns and isn’t an imposter, but really is the missing kid. Imposter is too cliche.
They did this with ‘boy who vanished’ earlier in the year.
Damn She was one horrible mother she killed one daughter then try to kill the other one, but the daughter didn’t even try to convince her mother to stop
Did the husband know the truth or did he really think Emily was Abducted? That “mom”(if you can call her that) is evil. But of course she went to mental hospital and NOT jail. She’s a pretty white chick with money. I guarantee if the movie was about a black mom doing all this, her ass would’ve been thrown in jail at the very beginning. Just look at other lmn movies. Its always the same pattern. The writers must have an outline of what theyre gonna write then fill details in. Its all cookie cutter. But,at least (2025) didnt have as many POC as criminals, suspects and/or victims. Sometimes they’re even heroes. Thats a good change but lots more needs to be changed
“Did the husband know the truth or did he really think Emily was Abducted? ”
That was my question also. When did the mom crack? Or was she always that disturbed? Agree about mental hospital vs prison
So, we start with an annoying teenager…*sigh* Tired of these tropes (I am sure real life too) where kids can talk back to their parents and slam doors in their faces. I would never, even at almost 50. Never. But got to give it to her. It is normally the spicy teens that can see past all of the lies. The twist was very sad and disturbing.
SELENA GOMEZ girl have a lot more than I love you too and thank you 😙 I will get to see you tomorrow morning and Me and Me and Me and