In the early morning hours of May 1, 2010 escort Shannan Gilbert made a 23 minute call to 911 from the gated community of Oak Beach, Long Island. During the call she repeatedly told the dispatcher "There's somebody after me". When police arrived an hour had passed and she had disappeared. She was never seen alive again. 2020's Lost Girls chronicles the fallout from Gilbert's disappearance, which eventually led to the discovery of a total of eleven bodies on Long Island's Gilgo Beach. The film follows Gilbert's mother, Mari, as she sets out to find her missing daughter and leads a crusade to obtain justice for nearly a dozen victims and their families. For the story behind the headlines join Mari in her search for the Lost Girls.
The story begins on the day before Shannan Gilbert's disappearance. Her mother, Mari, is struggling to make ends meet while raising Shannan's younger sisters, Sherre and Sarra. When Shannan fails to attend a family dinner Mari is disappointed but not surprised. After Shannan's boyfriend calls Sherre looking for her and Sherre's calls to Shannan go unanswered the family start to worry. During the police's reluctant search for Shannan, the bodies of ten others are discovered along Long Island's Gilgo Beach. Thus begins an investigation that has since become one of the most infamous in the history of modern crime. The film then follows Mari as she joins forces with the families of the other victims in their search for justice and embarks upon a mission to bring Shannan home.
While meeting with the families of other victims Mari says "No one's talking about our girls. It's our job to make sure that these girls are not forgotten", and Lost Girls does just that. Rather than following the killer or the police tracking him, the film sets itself apart by maintaining a firm focus upon the victims and those that they left behind. In this way, the film puts a human face on the headlines and highlights the devastation that the killer left in his wake. By telling the victims' story rather than the killer's story the film removes the intrigue, mystery, and fascination that draws viewers to true crime, leaving only a raw tale of wounds that will never heal. As a result, the film fulfills Mari's wish by treating each of its Lost Girls with the empathy, dignity, and sympathy that they were denied in life. Easily one of the most difficult films to be released in recent years Lost Girls is also one of the most vital and important films to come out of Hollywood in years.
The film brings the true story of the lost girls of Gilgo Beach to heart breaking life thanks to the stellar work of its cast. Lola Kirke imbues victim Amber Costello's sister, and fellow escort, Kim with sass and Southern charm. Miriam Shor infuses victim Megan Waterman's mother, Lorraine, with warmth, even as she highlights the devastation of her loss. Dean Winters personifies callousness as dismissive police officer Dean Bostik. Oona Laurence aptly captures the torment of Shannan's mentally ill younger sister, Sarra. Thomasin McKenzie adeptly blends innocence and maturity as Shannan's straight-arrow younger sister, Sherre. Gabriel Byrne turns in one of the most complex performances of his career as world weary police Commissioner Richard Dormer. Even in the midst of compelling supporting performances Amy Ryan dominates the screen as Mari. Ryan lends a truly dynamic performance as she portrays Mari's inner torment with subtlety and nuance even as she depicts her public efforts to find Shannen with fiery bombast.
At once a moving tribute to the Gilgo beach victims and their families and a compelling call to action Lost Girls makes for some of the most powerful viewing in recent years. Through its equal parts intelligent and empathetic script the film relates its story with raw honesty and without judgment. The uniformly superb performances bring the devastation and resilience of the victims' families to visceral life. As the primary suspect in the Gilgo Beach murders dominates the headlines it is more vital than ever to remember his victims and ensure that their stories are heard.
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