Lifetime Review: 'She Went Missing'

Synopsis:

A rising reporter working for a popular Chicago magazine, Maya Taylor (Corbin Reid) hasn't seen her hometown in years. But a shocking news story her boss wants her to cover brings her back. The story: the disappearance of her high school best friend, Brittney Jones (Sherilyn Allen). Upon arriving, Maya finds the story will be harder to write than she thought. The police aren't forthcoming with information and Maya is soon pulled deeper into the mystery. But as she follows leads and questions the people in Brittney's life, she unwittingly finds herself back in the sights of a former stalker. Can Maya find her old friend without losing her life in the process?

Story:

Despite her being a reporter, you'll likely solve the case of what happened to Brittney long before Maya does. Between the microscopic suspect list and the culprit not trying all that hard to conceal their true nature, even an infant could crack the case. With the culprit's motivation being as obvious as their identity, She Went Missing lacks anything resembling suspense. It just becomes a string of familiar beats from other Lifetime movies about amateur sleuth heroines. There's the standard collection of red herrings and unearthed secrets, all of which lead to a predictable revelation, a cat-and-mouse climax, and a rather abrupt ending. It's like someone took a generic mystery novel and turned it into a Lifetime movie.

Characters:

The same blandness can be found in the characters. While Maya Taylor is likable enough, there's hardly anything about her that distinguishes her from other Lifetime protagonists. She has the usual thriving career, the usual troubled past (her stalker and her father's death), and the usual relationship problems with her husband Vince. Everyone else in Maya's life is similarly disinteresting. Vince is a flawed but well-meaning husband. Liz is a supportive but stern boss. Brittney's concerned mother Connie and resentful ex-husband Richard are passive pawns in the mystery of her disappearance. Maya's ally Jamie is an average "Old Friend with Unrequited Feelings" type. They each come with all the depth of a puddle, so none of them can really do much to invigorate the lifeless plot.

Acting:

The actors do what they can with their paper-thin characters to varying degrees of success. Sharon Crandall and Kareem Tristan Alleyne make the best impressions out of those in the supporting cast, giving Liz and Vince healthy doses of charm. Candus Churchill and Steve Baran aren't as fortunate as Brittney's underutilized mother and stalely written ex. Everick Golding is stranded in the role of Sheriff West, a fine example of functionally useless Lifetime law enforcement. Sherilyn Allen doesn't get time to do much and she isn't helped by the bad first impression she makes during the film's weirdly executed opening scene.

As for main players Corbin Reid and Jaime M. Callica, they do a fairly good job bringing some flavor to their cookie-cutter characters. Reid is consistently solid as a journalist determined to uncover the truth and save Brittney while Callica is his regular charismatic self as the sweet but awkward Jamie. SPOILER ALERT He also appears to have fun during the climax, keeping a smile plastered on Jamie's face as he reveals himself to be a delusional psychopath obsessed with Maya. Sadly, that detail is the only memorable thing the script lets Callica do with Jamie's one-note characterization and the climactic chase around the abandoned school ends as quickly as it begins. Spoilers Over

Overall:

While Reid, Callica, and their co-stars put forth their best efforts, She Went Missing remains as nondescript as its title. With the central mystery being one you can have solved by the first commercial break, the plot is a dull patchwork of Lifetime tropes that don't come together to form something entertaining. The characters don't get you invested in the story and the "grand finale" leaves a lot to be desired. So if you're looking for a good Lifetime whodunnit, look elsewhere in their catalog because you won't find one in She Went Missing.

Score: 3 out of 10 random flower facts.