DISAPPEARANCE AT LAKE ELROD

Directed by:  Lauren Fash

Starring:  Robyn Lively, Michael Trucco, Shanola Hampton, Judith Ivey, Nicholas Logan

One year after her own daughter, Lily, disappears in the Georgia town of Elrod, another young girl disappears. Charlie is convinced there is a connection between the two abductions, however in her search for the truth she draws suspicion and contempt from the local law enforcement…

Despite its misleading DVD cover, Disappearance at Lake Elrod (aka Through the Glass Darkly) is a superb mystery thriller with compelling central characters.

The film starts with Charlie refreshing the "Missing Child" posters that she's put up all over town. Her daughter Lily had vanished a year ago and no one has been able to provide her or the police with any answers.  Charlie is a "known character", especially at the local bar she frequents.

When she sees a news report that another girl has gone missing it sends Charlie into a frenzy, as she sees links between the case and what had (might) have happened to her own daughter. However the police, especially the Sheriff, won't give her the time of day. When she continues to press and ask awkward questions however, she soon finds herself marked as a suspect herself.

Charlie finds an ally in Amy, an investigative reporter who believes Charlie enough to realist there may be a meaty story here. Their relationship is acerbic to  begin with and Amy raises an interesting point regarding condescending misogynistic language which has become so commonplace its even adopted by women. However her investigative skills allow her to piece together a lot of what is happening even if it means confronting Charlie with some hard-to-take truths.

Charlie and Amy's investigation takes them to the most glamourous  of locations, such as trailer parks and strip joints. Part of their investigation is into the second missing girls father, Trip Carmichael, heir to the local whisky distillery. It takes a long time before Trip appears on screen but by then we have a very good idea of what kind of man he is.

The film takes its time at first to give credence to what Charlie suspects - initially she is depicted as someone consumed by guilt and clutching at straws. There are times when Charlie succumbs to hallucinations, chasing a memory. However when the police confront her with some admittedly tenuous circumstantial evidence, it clues you in that someone is setting her up for a fall.

THE VERDICT

Disappearance at Elrod Lake reminded me a lot of The Girl on the Train, another mystery revolving around a woman who is emotionally damaged and with unreliable testimony. The unfolding of the mystery is done very well, teasing out details and sending our investigators into darker territory. If you are a fan of good detective stories, this is exemplary stuff.

8 out of 10 -  RECOMMENDED

MIKEOUTWEST