Lifetime Review: 'Disappearance in Yellowstone'

Synopsis:

Jessie Gephart (Lucie Guest) is an exasperated mother on the run. Fleeing her abusive ex-husband with her daughter Michelle (Cassandra Sawtell) in tow, Jessie finds herself at odds with a daughter who doesn't know the truth about her father and resents her mother for uprooting her life. When their car breaks down while passing through Yellowstone National Park, Jessie leaves to get help. But when she returns to the car with mechanic Grant (Jonathan Scarfe), Jessie's horrified to find the car empty. Things go from bad to worse when the local police learn that Michelle has been reported missing by her father, forcing Jessie and Grant to evade the law while trying to rescue Michelle. But can they find her in time to save Michelle from a brutal end at the hands of her psychotic captor?

Story:

Disappearance in Yellowstone is similar to Big Lies in a Small Town, except it has a more scenic locale and a plot that doesn't run the risk of putting you to sleep. Unlike the previously reviewed film, it's known from the start how Michelle's disappearance went down. After only a little bit of buildup, we even learn the reason behind Jessie and Michelle's abrupt road trip (hence why I revealed both facts in the above synopsis). After putting all its cards on the table, Disappearance in Yellowstone foregoes trying to be a mystery in favor of being a tense and tautly-paced kidnapping thriller. While the film ends up spending more time on Jessie than on Michelle, we still see enough of her situation to feel the gravity of the danger she's in. As such, you'll be on the edge of your seat as Jessie evades the police and gets in a cat-and-mouse game with Michelle's kidnapper in order to save her daughter.

That's not to say the script doesn't stumble a few times. The first instance of this relates to Jessie and Grant's romantic subplot. The fact that Jessie was even able to develop these feelings for Grant with her daughter missing is pretty strange by itself. But in the middle of the movie, the plot is interrupted by a montage of Jessie and Grant trekking through the forest scored to a pop song. It's a sequence that would be more at place in a Hallmark movie about two people going on a camping trip and falling in love. A more appropriate use of this time would've been to have either Jessie or Grant encounter a dangerous situation in the woods (ex: a bear attack) and have the other person save them from it.

Such a situation would've fit the film's tone better and, SPOILER ALERT if the bear attack example was used, it could serve as foreshadowing to Nolan's grisly demise. Speaking of, Nolan's death is fumbled in two days. First, it makes no sense to have Jessie and Michelle cower when Nolan comes after them for the last time. Michelle has a gun while Nolan is unarmed and barely able to walk, so he clearly doesn't have the upper hand anymore. Second, the bear CGI and the fact that Nolan dies from a single paw swipe are just laughable. Having Nolan start getting straight-up mauled right as Jessie and Michelle make their escape would've been less cheesy and much more cathartic to watch/listen to after everything he put Jessie, Michelle, and all his other victims through. Spoilers Over

Characters:

While the main villain of Big Lies in a Small Town was a complete disappointment, the same can most definitely not be said about Disappearance in Yellowstone's antagonist. When Michelle first encounters Nolan, he seems like a nice (if fairly dorky) man who gives her some much-needed respite from the conflict she's in with her mother. But it's not long before the viewer gets to see the psychopath lurking under Nolan's unassuming face and "aww, shucks" demeanor. As the movie goes on, Nolan becomes progressively loonier until he's one makeover away from being The Joker. It's a transformation as entertaining to the viewer as it is terrifying to Michelle.

Main heroine Jessie goes through her own kind of metamorphosis after her daughter's abduction. Initially timid and wanting to keep a low profile, Michelle's disappearance lights a fire in Jessie that drives her to go to extremes to rescue her daughter. The only time her character's badass status falters is when SPOILER ALERT Jessie falls for Nolan's transparent lies after successfully taking him hostage, allowing Nolan to subdue her. Spoilers Over Grant shares in Jessie's strong-willed spirit and proves to be just as charming as Big Lies in a Small Town's Mark--and just as sympathetic whenever he talks about his missing sister.

As for Michelle, it'll be tempting to dismiss her as nothing but a bratty teen whose naivete results in her kidnapping. But when you think of the big picture, it's easy to see why Michelle acts the way she does. She has no idea what a monster her father is and Jessie is refusing to tell her, so it's understandable why she's so angry at her mother for turning her life upside down out of the blue. Plus, once Michelle ends up in Nolan's sadistic clutches, any animosity you developed for the poor girl will dissipate. Another character you'll feel for despite their limited screentime is Grant's friend Wally. A simple but affable man, you'll laugh as Wally points out how crazy Grant and Jessie's situation is and SPOILER ALERT maybe even get a little choked up when Wally's helpfulness winds up getting him killed. Spoilers Over

Even when Michelle's at her worst, she's still ten times more likable than Officer Stoddard, who goes above and beyond when it comes to being an infuriating Lifetime cop. Not only is the guy useless when it comes to saving Michelle, but he treats Jessie with disgusting contempt from the second he meets her. He jumps to conclusions about her based on her past, dismisses everything she says as a lie, and makes a whole host of unprofessional (and in a few cases, vaguely misogynistic and threatening) remarks. And sadly, we never get to see the power-trip-having prick receive any sort of punishment for his horrid behavior.

Acting:

Cassandra Sawtell is the only member of the cast with a notably iffy performance. In her defense, though, her performance is only halfway iffy. In the first half of the film, when Michelle is in full-on teenage brat mode, Sawtell's delivery is very stiff. But after Michelle gets abducted by Nolan and learns his true colors, Sawtell throws herself into her character's despair and terror with as much vigor as her co-stars. Lucie Guest is incredibly emotive as Jessie goes from scared runaway to ferocious Mama Bear while Jonathan Scarfe is charming when Grant is helping out/falling for Jessie and quietly sorrowful whenever Grant talks about his sister's disappearance. Guest and Scarfe's natural chemistry also helps make Jessie and Grant's semi-poorly executed romance work. Ben Cotton makes Wally a thoroughly wholesome dude while, on the other side of the spectrum, Reese Alexander makes Officer Stoddard positively maddening.

But the best cast member is hands down Aren Buchholz as the perfectly repulsive and deranged Nolan. After an introductory scene successfully selling the would-be ranger as a harmless weirdo, Buchholz sinks his teeth into making Nolan as over-the-top evil as possible. It's Lifetime ham at its most succulent and puts Nolan on the same level as superstar Lifetime villain Dr. Albert Beck. SPOILER ALERT It's just too bad Nolan's demise couldn't have been the grand and gruesome finale his character deserved. Spoilers Over

Overall:

While the antagonist may be Disappearance in Yellowstone's big-ticket attraction, there are plenty of other things that make it an incredibly entertaining watch. The acting is great, the main characters are well-written, and the story knows how to keep you reeled in with its suspenseful pacing and bursts of high-octane drama. With enough excitement and Lifetimey mayhem to fill the Norris Geyser Basin, this is a near-perfect movie for when you're in the mood for a big injection of adrenaline.

Score: 9 out of 10 avocado sandwiches.