‘Lost Girls' is a Clumsy Netflix Procedural Drama [Review]

Doc filmmaker Liz Garbus' narrative feature debut “Lost Girls” is based on the famously unsolved Long Island serial murders. Amy Ryan stars as a mother driven by police inaction to investigate her daughter's disappearance in an unsatisfying Netflix movie that punishingly goes through the motions of the procedural genre. If anything, last year’s Netflix true-crime police procedural “Unbelievable” tackled similar territory but in far more shattering and forensically-detailed fashion. The Long Island Serial Killer case, from the late ‘80s, involved the murders of more than a dozen sex workers over a period of almost 20 years, but the poorly scripted “Lost Girls” is so uninvolving that it manages to make the real-life tragedy an incredibly dull affair. Ryan plays enraged mom Mari Gilbert, trying to trace back the steps of her missing daughter Shannan, while having to deal with her two other teenage daughters at home, Sherre (Thomasin McKenzie) and Sarra (Oona Laurence). To make matters worse, a frustratingly unsympathetic detective (Dean Winters) doesn’t seem to be in any rush to solve the case, ditto the clumsy police commissioner (Gabriel Byrne) sleepwalking through the developments. So Mari, like any good mother in these kinds of movies, starts posting fliers and banging on doors, this rings the alarm of a few locals who might have a connection to the unsolved cases and riles local police. Written by Michael Werwie (“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”) and inspired by journalist Robert Kolker's book, “Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery,” Garbus’ film would have been better served as a documentary as she struggles to find coherence in the story she is trying to tell on-screen. Clocking in at a tepid 95 minutes, “Lost Girls” feels incomplete, not developed enough for us to be immersed into the story, the result is a suspense-free procedural with barely any stakes at hand. [D]

Drew Goddard Won’t Move Forward With ‘Matrix 5’ Without the Wachowskis’ “Blessing” of the Script

Wachowski, who isn’t involved with Goddard’s “reboot,” confirms being “done” with The Matrix, but apparently Goddard still wants Lily and Lana’s blessing before continuing with his work.

Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘The Debut’ Raved at Telluride - Julianne Moore for Best Actress?

The film has taken over the Telluride Film Festival. It’s a best picture contender. Julianne Moore is a best actress frontrunner. Paul Giamatti might win his first Oscar for as supporting actor.

‘Ink’: Danny Boyle Confirms AI Was Used to Generate Margaret Thatcher, The Kray Brothers and Mice

Danny Boyle tells Vanity Fair that AI was used to animate old photographs—which means Margaret Thatcher and the Kray brothers—and to create mice running around the newsroom.

John Malkovich Heads to Israel for ‘The Music Critic’ as ‘Wild Horse Nine’ Puts Him in the Oscar Race: “Closeness and Solidarity”

John Malkovich is set to star in a production of “The Music Critic” in Israel next year, just 24 hours after entering the best actor race for his “Wild Horse Nine” performance. I gather he won’t be getting Mark Ruffalo’s vote.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

Good/Great Movies That Don't Deserve Their “Rotten" Scores

These 31 titles clearly have their share of detractors — that’s why they’re “rotten” — and I expect some people to question a few of these picks. That’s fine. However, I believe most are strong films, worth reevaluating.

‘Dune: Part Three’ Reportedly “Blew Away" Warner Bros. With Rough 3-Hour Cut as New Teaser Stuns

Today, “Dune: Part Three” tickets went on sale, this time non-premium formats were made available, and it was all accompanied by a brand-new teaser—and the footage is stunning.

What is David Fincher’s Best Film? 100+ Critics Say, No Contest, It’s ‘Zodiac’

We managed to gather 118 ballots from critics, programmers, filmmakers, and scholars. Each was asked to submit a single title, the one they believe to be the best of Fincher’s filmography.

Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Glimpses of the Moon’ (Apparently) Starts Production This Month in Italy

Coppola has described “Glimpses” as a “strange 30s-style musical.” No cast has been announced. The film is a loose adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel, “inspired” by Leo McCarey’s “The Awful Truth.”

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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