There’s a new top thriller on Netflix, and it’s a film that only a relative few had seen before this week.
The Girl Who Got Away was released on VOD in 2021 to a muted response, and it had never gained traction until now.
Lexi Johnson stars in this thriller as Christina Bowden, the only survivor of a maniac who kidnapped her and other girls when she was a child.
Now, Watch With Us is here to tell you whether The Girl Who Got Away is worth watching on Netflix.
The Opening Sequence Is Impressively Creepy
The Girl Who Got Away begins on a high note when a father and son find themselves in the midst of a terrifying situation. First, they encounter a murderer and kidnapper named Elizabeth Caulfield (Kaye Tuckerman), and then they see her victim, Christina Bowden.
Luckily, that scene is one of the few clips from the movie that’s available on YouTube. It plays out in its entirety in the video above.
Chukwudi Iwuji Gives the Movie’s Best Performance
Chukwudi Iwuji in The Girl Who Got Away Quiver
This film was released before Chukwudi Iwuji landed bigger roles in Peacemaker, starring John Cena, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, featuring Chris Pratt, but his talent shines through in The Girl Who Got Away. He plays Officer Jamie Nwosu with charisma and a sense of humanity that most of the other cast members in this flick can’t seem to match. Jamie is the everyman hero of this story, even though he sticks out like a sore thumb in this small town.
Jamie is the only character who really asks the same questions that the audience has. For example, when people in Christina’s life wind up horribly murdered, he’s openly skeptical that Elizabeth could have done it. She spent decades behind bars and wouldn’t have known about these people in Christina’s orbit. That’s important information, and Jamie’s willingness to question Christina’s account means he’s a lot smarter than his fellow cops.
Lexi Johnson’s Character Is Easy to Sympathize With
Lexi Johnson in The Girl Who Got Away Quiver
For the most part, Johnson is really good at Christina, especially in the first half of the movie. She comes off as a survivor with some final girl energy who lived through a nightmare and came out on the other side. Christina even shows a desire to be a real mother to a troubled teenage girl named Lisa (Willow McCarthy), and their bond is endearing.
Unfortunately, things start to fall apart in the second half of the film, and the script starts to let Johnson and Iwuji down. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that The Girl Who Got Away does have some big drawbacks that you should know about ahead of time.
‘The Girl Who Got Away’ Moves at an Agonizingly Slow Pace
This is a two-hour movie that doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to get anywhere. Thrillers live and die with their pacing, and this one moves at such a slow rate that its narrative momentum comes to a crashing halt. If this film had been cut down to around 90 minutes, it wouldn’t have solved every problem that it’s got. But at least it wouldn’t be such a slog to watch.
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It’s disappointing because the film’s strong opening seemed like it was going to set the tone for everything that came after. That didn’t turn out to be the case.
The Final Twists Are Messy and Convoluted
Lexi Johnson in The Girl Who Got Away Quiver Distribution /Courtesy Everett Collection
Unfortunately, The Girl Who Got Away goes for a little bit more than it can handle when the final twists come to life. Rather than rewarding the audience with the solution to a well-crafted story puzzle, it’s more likely to leave viewers confused or even upset.
There are certainly worse movies than this one, but the girl isn’t the only one who got away here. Somewhere along the line, director/writer Michael Morrissey got derailed and made a very flawed movie that never realizes its full potential.
The Girl Who Got Away is streaming on Netflix.
