Massive spoilers for Netflix's Lost Girls.
Over the past few years Netflix has become a behemoth in the streaming world. Besides its television content, the service has been aggressively putting out new movies, including originals and projects that it earned the distribution rights to. The most recent of Netflix's original movies is Liz Garbus' Lost Girls. Focusing on the rea-life story of murder victim advocate Mari Gilbert, who was on the search for her missing daughter back in 2010 and was involved in the investigation of the Long Island serial killer. The Office alum Amy Ryan gives a stunning and emotional performance in Lost Girls, and there's a variety of tear-inducing scenes throughout the movie's 95-minute runtime.
The stakes of Lost Girls is immediate from the start, with the dark subject matter and characterization of grief no doubt triggering strong emotions for Netflix subscribers. But there were three scenes in particular that really had me welling up. So without further ado, three moments from Netflix's Lost Girls that reduced me to a puddle.
Posting At The Police Department
Amy Ryan's character Mari Gilbert is a no nonsense spitfire in Lost Girls, balancing two jobs to support her family. And when her daughter Shannan goes missing, Mari is forced to buckle up and use her life skills to bring justice and attention to the situation. Eventually Shannan's disappearance gets some play from the media, although the reports all preface that she's a prostitute, rather than simply a victim. The matriarch of the family soon grows tired of the media coverage and lack of action from local police, and storms into the station.
From there Amy Ryan's protagonist covers a local police bulletin board with missing person notices about her Shannan. She makes enough of a scene that Gabriel Byrne's Commissioner Richard Dorman engaged with Mari and tries to get her to calm down. It's no use, and she vows to return every day until her daughter is found. What's more, she tells the officer to never refer to her daughter as as prostitute again.
The Support Group
Shortly after having her scuffle with the police mentioned above, Mari Gilbert ultimately decides to meet with a group of people whose loved ones went missing under similar circumstances. The group comes into play thanks to her middle daughter Sherre, payed by Jojo Rabbit star Thomasin McKenzie. They meet at a local Chinese food restaurant, and exchange eerily similar stories. Each actor plays the scene with a ton of pain, and get the chance to shine as a supporting cast.
This scene is a tear jerker as you watch each member of the group share their story. Younger actress Miriam Shor is almost unrecognizable Lorraine, who ends up being one of Mari's closest friends in the group. They also mobilize almost immediately, which has the potential to inspire some tears of joy. The missing women's loved ones support each other, and they gain strength and momentum in their movement.
'I'm Going To Take You Home'
Throughout Lost Girls' runtime, Amy Ryan's character Mari is singularly focused. She's hoping to find the answers behind her daughter's disappearance, either good or bad. Unfortunately, closure doesn't come for the Gilbert family. At least, until after a time jump and a fortunate set of events. Mari's frenemy Commissioner Richard Dorman does end up doing the right thing, presumably in penance for how seemingly shoddily the original investigation into Shannan's disappearance was handled. He pushes for local marsh lands to be searched, which results in Shannan's body finally being found.
One of Lost Girls' final sequences sees Mari and Sherre go to see Shannan's final resting spot, seeing what was left of her remains. Her skeleton is a harrowing and emotional sight, made all the more heartbreaking with Amy Ryan and Thomasin McKenzie's performances. Mari weeps in relief and grief, telling her late daughter that she's going to "take you home". The family's long ordeal was finally over, although Lost Girls' epilogue revealed that she would be meeting a horrifying fate herself just years later.
Lost Girls is currently streaming on Netflix, and is the #4 most popular movie on the streaming service a the time of writing. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
