Here's a 2nd review by someone not associated with this film.
The movie is pretty bad. The acting is spotty with several of the actors being no better than rank amateurs.
Direction is questionable. The whole vibe of the thing is cheap and junky.
I should've known as certain aspects of the trailer gave me pause but I foolishly plowed ahead anyway only to be thoroughly let down.
22 Reviews
I don't understand the 1 star reviews
kessiebear-2493617 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's not an A grade movie by any means, but it certainly doesn't pretend to be.
I do have to wonder if there's multiple low reviews because the ending wasn't wrapped up in a neat little package, and a lot of people can't cope without a happy or closed ending.. and I get it, it was a bit frustrating to not truly know what happened, and the very end was a little confusing as it went from fiction to not entirely fiction to breaking the 4th wall and accusing a UK politician of being involved in child sex trafficking, and abruptly cutting..
But the film itself overall was an interestingly written story with multiple twists, and for once, no actual gore (except the ending where someone is shot point blank in the head out of nowhere), but otherwise, it's the cleanest crime story I've seen in decades.
I do have to wonder if there's multiple low reviews because the ending wasn't wrapped up in a neat little package, and a lot of people can't cope without a happy or closed ending.. and I get it, it was a bit frustrating to not truly know what happened, and the very end was a little confusing as it went from fiction to not entirely fiction to breaking the 4th wall and accusing a UK politician of being involved in child sex trafficking, and abruptly cutting..
But the film itself overall was an interestingly written story with multiple twists, and for once, no actual gore (except the ending where someone is shot point blank in the head out of nowhere), but otherwise, it's the cleanest crime story I've seen in decades.
Gripping Suspense, But Sluggish Pacing
lavatch3 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
There was an intensity in "Bloodhound" (aka, "The Lost") that was compelling. But the film's protracted use of flashbacks from the "party" resulted in a major shortcoming with the pacing.
At a posh gathering, a young girl is kidnapped right out from "under the noses" of her parents. Or, was she? During the interminable flashback scenes, the filmmakers keep changing the narrative. By the end, it is still unclear who was responsible for the tragic disappearance of young Olivia.
The characters, including the parents, their guests, and the sister were uniformly reprehensible and disgusting creatures. There was a clear intent to raise consciousness about human trafficking. But the film was mired in misdirection and a determination to avoid shedding light on who were the actual perpetrators. This was most apparent in the vague and conflicting impressions of the nanny, who fled the scene, left the country, then apparently told a fictitious story to the authorities.
The best character development was Detective Holloway, the career-driven workaholic. It was not plausible that he would browbeat the parents to the extent that their civil liberties were likely violated. But the actor's performance of Holloway was superb.
Overall, this was an average film, but worth a watch for the intensity of the investigator Holloway.
At a posh gathering, a young girl is kidnapped right out from "under the noses" of her parents. Or, was she? During the interminable flashback scenes, the filmmakers keep changing the narrative. By the end, it is still unclear who was responsible for the tragic disappearance of young Olivia.
The characters, including the parents, their guests, and the sister were uniformly reprehensible and disgusting creatures. There was a clear intent to raise consciousness about human trafficking. But the film was mired in misdirection and a determination to avoid shedding light on who were the actual perpetrators. This was most apparent in the vague and conflicting impressions of the nanny, who fled the scene, left the country, then apparently told a fictitious story to the authorities.
The best character development was Detective Holloway, the career-driven workaholic. It was not plausible that he would browbeat the parents to the extent that their civil liberties were likely violated. But the actor's performance of Holloway was superb.
Overall, this was an average film, but worth a watch for the intensity of the investigator Holloway.
Don't waste your time.
flicketygee17 October 2021
Decent movie!
andreasmichaelides-4417811 November 2021
so bad that it's ridiculous
shimonade-4134720 April 2021
Worst movie I've ever seen. No joke. The kind that it's so bad that it's funny. We've only watched it for Dana Rogoz but you'll needed booze to reach the end. The finale made no sense, btw, but it matters less. We've had a laugh. 2 stars for that.
Could have been great
mjolly-4606829 August 2021
One star because it finally finished.
paulp-2954916 September 2021
I don't know where to start - the storyline was confusing, slow-moving and unbelievable; the directing was poor, with long pauses that only served to pad out the abysmal script; and the acting was as poor and stilted as the direction. I watched to the end more from bewilderment than any interest or curiosity I could muster. Why did they bother at all?
You Need to Pay Attention
ljs6510 May 2022
I don't understand the negative reviews except for the fact that people must not understand the film. I guess it's because you have to listen and pay attention to what is SAID. There are no crashes, explosions, or gratuitous sex scenes so it loses their attention.
It is a very intense subject matter and touches every emotion, you really never expect some of it. As for some saying you don't know who the actual culprit us, I believe it is answered by the last phone call by the female detective if you really pay attention.
I recommend this for people who like intense crime thrillers, but realize it has the potential for triggering (in I hate that word) subject matter.
It is a very intense subject matter and touches every emotion, you really never expect some of it. As for some saying you don't know who the actual culprit us, I believe it is answered by the last phone call by the female detective if you really pay attention.
I recommend this for people who like intense crime thrillers, but realize it has the potential for triggering (in I hate that word) subject matter.
Deserves a -10
Cilica3 March 2022
Awful movie from the opening terrible acting of the Mother character, to the horrific lines and attitude of the male detective. In 2020 they are making this dribble of unintelligent dialogue, acting and storyline. Do they think intelligent people will watch or just leave the movie on for the pets to watch.
Keeps you curious until the end
mada-2-67434020 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I found the best acting to be by whoever played Miriam, the nanny. The kidnapped child's father smiled in the wrong moments for me ruining the scenes. I imagine those moments, those days, those weeks to be torturous for the parents. I didn't get any of that from the father. I thought that the robotic attitude and the frozen smile suited the mother, though. A former sexually abused child herself, I expect the character learnt to hide feelings and thoughts and to mimic normal behaviour. And she looked just like that to me, as if she was just automatically going through the motions.
The detectives had a dumb attitude, doing everything possible to get people to shut down and stop talking, even when those did have something they wanted to share. They were incessantly snarky, sarcastic, immediately mocking every sentence. The characters were just not well written. DI Costa tells the witnesses what she thinks happened, "it's not gonna be important because the nanny did it, but ok, tell us anyways". A real cop wouldn't tell you anything to discourage you from actually sharing. I understand that Costa was corrupt but she was supposed to derail the investigation, not let the witnesses know what the police is working on. Also, when they're talking to the witnesses, the DIs do not support each other at all, repeatedly interrupting and criticising each other.
The DIs inexplicably force one of the witnesses to hack someone else's phone. The phone contains a voice recording of the parents negotiating the price for the French ambassador's sexual encounters with their own daughter. They even mention that they will drug her so that she won't cry and won't remember the details.
Half way through the hacking process, the DIs have to go back to the victim's parents house and they bring the witness and his computer with them... to continue hacking the phone.
:)) they leave him alone working downstairs, in the house of the parents/suspects.
I happen to know that Romania doesn't have a culture of gangs, never had a single gang in fact. The writer is taking about Gipsies, but he calls them Romanians. Different language, different customs, different music even.
But this is a story of a child at the hands of abominable adults, so I wanted to know what happened to her. You are introduced to the facts gradually, you learn them just like an investigator would. You hear a plausible story and you know that. Then you hear the opposite in a way that also makes sense, and you now believe that. And so on until the end. Costa on the phone, telling someone that she hadn't expected those who basically corrupted her to go quite as far as killing a cop's child- that is when you finally know whose version of events had been true all along.
But of course, sadly, the innocent nanny ends up being taken by the police away from her own child; she was the only person in the victim's life who cared about and tried to protect her. The detective whose theory had been right loses his own daughter, and ends up in prisión after executing the couple. Basically, justice is only half done, and all innocents involved end up suffering irreparable damage, including the unstable aunty.
It's a mature ending to the story, and suddenly the movie's fault don't seem so big anymore.
The detectives had a dumb attitude, doing everything possible to get people to shut down and stop talking, even when those did have something they wanted to share. They were incessantly snarky, sarcastic, immediately mocking every sentence. The characters were just not well written. DI Costa tells the witnesses what she thinks happened, "it's not gonna be important because the nanny did it, but ok, tell us anyways". A real cop wouldn't tell you anything to discourage you from actually sharing. I understand that Costa was corrupt but she was supposed to derail the investigation, not let the witnesses know what the police is working on. Also, when they're talking to the witnesses, the DIs do not support each other at all, repeatedly interrupting and criticising each other.
The DIs inexplicably force one of the witnesses to hack someone else's phone. The phone contains a voice recording of the parents negotiating the price for the French ambassador's sexual encounters with their own daughter. They even mention that they will drug her so that she won't cry and won't remember the details.
Half way through the hacking process, the DIs have to go back to the victim's parents house and they bring the witness and his computer with them... to continue hacking the phone.
:)) they leave him alone working downstairs, in the house of the parents/suspects.
I happen to know that Romania doesn't have a culture of gangs, never had a single gang in fact. The writer is taking about Gipsies, but he calls them Romanians. Different language, different customs, different music even.
But this is a story of a child at the hands of abominable adults, so I wanted to know what happened to her. You are introduced to the facts gradually, you learn them just like an investigator would. You hear a plausible story and you know that. Then you hear the opposite in a way that also makes sense, and you now believe that. And so on until the end. Costa on the phone, telling someone that she hadn't expected those who basically corrupted her to go quite as far as killing a cop's child- that is when you finally know whose version of events had been true all along.
But of course, sadly, the innocent nanny ends up being taken by the police away from her own child; she was the only person in the victim's life who cared about and tried to protect her. The detective whose theory had been right loses his own daughter, and ends up in prisión after executing the couple. Basically, justice is only half done, and all innocents involved end up suffering irreparable damage, including the unstable aunty.
It's a mature ending to the story, and suddenly the movie's fault don't seem so big anymore.
Great film which leaves you wondering
gabriel-888-97788420 November 2021
I've seen some one star reviews of this and wonder why. As a drama dealing with child abduction and the subsequent investigation I thought it was up there with the best.
You never really know what the truth is even at the end. Good uk cast and probably not one for viewers who need all the info and have no ability to come to their own conclusions.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes twists and turns and can stomach a terrible subject matter. It's well worth watching.
You never really know what the truth is even at the end. Good uk cast and probably not one for viewers who need all the info and have no ability to come to their own conclusions.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes twists and turns and can stomach a terrible subject matter. It's well worth watching.
Scary subject matter.
ggina1028 February 2021
I loved this!
lauralb-1451014 November 2021
Put this on, on a sunday afternoon, thinking it would be something to have on in the background... but i was hooked. The detective was a brilliant character, his one liners were hilarious. Some of the acting seems a bit wooden but there is a reason for this. I honestly could not predict how it was going to end. Also nice to see an appearance from Terri Dwyer!
Peering into dark parts of the human psyche
Phil_M_A_Kerr5 September 2021
Firstly, it's a relatively small production. Don't expect a cinematic masterpiece.
The topic is discomforting & probably exactly why it'd never attract someone with a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
Speaking of big-budget Hollywood movies, I did see some parallels with Sean Penn's The Pledge.
I suspect that in reality, a case like this would drain the life from anyone burdened with the responsibility of solving it. What it would be like for the immediate family of the victim, I can only begin to imagine.
A lot of complaints about the low production values but, hey, if these small productions didn't tackle these tough topics, they'd never be looked at at all.
The topic is discomforting & probably exactly why it'd never attract someone with a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
Speaking of big-budget Hollywood movies, I did see some parallels with Sean Penn's The Pledge.
I suspect that in reality, a case like this would drain the life from anyone burdened with the responsibility of solving it. What it would be like for the immediate family of the victim, I can only begin to imagine.
A lot of complaints about the low production values but, hey, if these small productions didn't tackle these tough topics, they'd never be looked at at all.
Harsh critics
nicolajanerolleston13 February 2022
I honestly wasn't expecting much from this movie from the synopsis outlining a familiar topic of child disappearance.
I read the reviews and thought I'd give it a go anyway as a fan of English movies.
I was glad I did. It was gritty, suspenseful and makes you think - especially if you have children. Any of the endings are plausible which created an interest in finding out more about trafficking and abduction (after checking on my own child). In regards to encouraging people to look outside their own bubble it was a success.
I read the reviews and thought I'd give it a go anyway as a fan of English movies.
I was glad I did. It was gritty, suspenseful and makes you think - especially if you have children. Any of the endings are plausible which created an interest in finding out more about trafficking and abduction (after checking on my own child). In regards to encouraging people to look outside their own bubble it was a success.
Gripping Thriller
frank-4493318 August 2021
Intense...
madalinaconstantin-0852516 January 2021
Good acting, well directed, impressed in all ways.
Mind blowing, it lets you questioning if those kinds of terrific things do happen out there, and if so, even if we call ourselves a superior species, the most evolved in all times, we are the same basic animals, not better than barbarics or other violent predecessors of human kind...
Worth watching and once again, you'll feel the helplessness in front of what influence, power, money do to certain kind of people(whom lack empathy and EQ, in general), they consider themselves free do whatever they want and cover easily...sad, but somehow true...
A heartbreaking parallel to so many cases
michelle_691128 January 2022
This movie is low budget, and set in basically one house. However, you don't really notice because you are so engrossed with the things being said. Best line of the movie is dropped by the nanny, and you'll know it when you hear it. The main cop, Danny, has you reigned in as a hate/love character, and his bright blue eyes lighting up as he engages in a scene. This movie is underrated! It's almost akin to M. Knight Shamalan style movies.
A great watch
lucasarts-889471 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I think this has got to have to been one of the best films I have watched in a while even though it is not a Hollywood budget.
It has a story which will keep you on your toes as there are lots of twist and turns which make for a gripping story even though the theme of it is a difficult one to tackle but it is well done. I cannot praise the performances of all the actors highly enough.
I am going to recommend this to everyone as one to add to their film watch list.
The only thing is I found the ending came around a bit to quickly and I felt it could have been rounded off a bit better and with more of a conclusion.
It has a story which will keep you on your toes as there are lots of twist and turns which make for a gripping story even though the theme of it is a difficult one to tackle but it is well done. I cannot praise the performances of all the actors highly enough.
I am going to recommend this to everyone as one to add to their film watch list.
The only thing is I found the ending came around a bit to quickly and I felt it could have been rounded off a bit better and with more of a conclusion.
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