- Date of Release: 06 July 2022
- Genre: Crime, Documentary, Thriller
- Language: English
- Watch On: Netflix
Girl In The Picture
Introduction
It has been about a month since I last reviewed a documentary film with the last being the Hindi series Bandon Mein Tha Dum. But ever since, I have been on the constant lookout for a documentary which would be fascinating and almost indulging. This is solely for the love that I have for documentaries. And Netflix and its original documentaries is a love affair for the ages. So on social media, I came across a bunch of people taking about the recently released documentary Girl In The Picture on Netflix. With the initial thoughts of people being “Shocking” and “Twisted” amongst the others, I knew I had zeroed in on my next documentary to be reviewed. And so last night I finished watching the new Netflix documentary Girl In The Picture. Is it worth your time, stay tuned!
Story & Screenplay
Girl In The Picture follows a twisted investigation between the death and the identity of a girl who was killed in a hit and run. The story recounts the details of people around her which formulates the investigation that lasts over decades. What started off as a usual investigation, just made my jaw drop in shock. The screenplay almost unfolded like a twisted thriller with twists every now and then which had the potential to shock you. The entire screenplay unfolds in a non linear manner which means you do need to pay some attention to the timelines to umderstand the case better. Also, some of the key players are well held back in the documentary only to further create an atmosphere of intrigue and mystery which keeps you going as the viewer. This leads up to a shocking revelation at the end summing up a brilliantly twisted screenplay for a documentary.
Impact
The documentary is probably one of the most twisted ones that I have watched since the Burari Deaths. As a viewer you are constantly on your toes and curious as to what will happen next. The documentary completely catches you off guard at so many occasions. What starts off as a routine hit and run case blows out into something which was shocking and unsettling. I was for one not ready for the dark space where this documentary was eventually going to land me up into. I usually enjoy the conversations where the documentaries unfold their the eyes of the guest. But here in particular, I liked how all the guest speakers only had versions of what they know or was known to them without knowing the entire truth completely. This created a puzzling image of the case which lasted almost two decades and to come to think of it, it was indeed complex. The constantly changing identities just did not help the case one bit and it made for a thrilling documentary for sure! And the wholistic nature of the documentary which brought about versions of friends, the FBI, a journalist, the local police and the foster parents, ensured that this documentary was brilliantly impactful from right to finish!
My Take
I can’t bring about my take without letting out mild spoilers. So if you haven’t watched the documentary yet then I would suggest you watch it before reading further in this section. The year when the incident had happened was 1990 where there were so signs of social media. But in current day, and with the rise of social media, it is even more important to not trust someone completely as was the case in the documentary where the mother had trusted a complete stranger(although in a state of mental distress).
Secondly, it is important to call out for any kind of help which you need with near and dear ones. Continuing to internalize your problems may not be the solution as was seen in the documentary where the girl was so intimidated that she did not utter a single word.
Thirdly, if you are not capable of raising kids, please avoid having them in the first place. A part of me made me so sad to think that a few kids in the documentary(not revealing who) had such a tough life from being sent to orphanages or simply being at the mercy of people who didn’t want them around made my heart sink. This is no fault of theirs as their parents chose to bring them into the world despite knowing the consequences(some in the documentary not all).
Conclusion
Girl In The Picture is a brilliantly twisted documentary which will leave you shell shocked! Available on Netflix and Highly Recommended!