Cruel Instruction

There's something very odd going on here. The 'Storyline' begins

> Tells the story of Kayla Adams ...

OK. But when we look at the list of 'Top cast' we see 18 actors - but there is no character called 'Kayla'. So, let's go to 'Full Cast & Crew'; what do we find there? A list of _24_ actors - but still no 'Kayla'. Finally, down at the bottom, in the 'Rest of cast listed alphabetically' we find Kelcey Mawema, portraying Kayla Adams.

Is Kelcey Mawema not the star of this picture? What in the world is going on with this billing?!?

HA HA -- now they hve fixed it!

I'm giving this a top rating because it's a must see for anyone with parents.

The main take away from this is to listening to your damned children.

But also keep in mind that this underplays the horrors that occur at these facilities. They manage to cover the basics, these place are callous and only care about their own financial gain.

But it does not depict the corporal punishment that occurs. Nor does it delve below the surface of the sexual predators these places attract. They make out that only the main lady running the place is the bad person and the rest are just being browbeaten into submission, this is a best case scenario.

Everyone and anyone that is involved in this industry should be imprisoned, including the school counselors who refer children to these facilities. Sometimes for kickbacks. This also helps includes judges.

Disgusting people up and down the chain that do not deserve the benefit of the doubt nor the luxury of freedom.

I wasn't sure I wanted to watch this movie. I was thinking to myself I hope to God this is not a true story. I was disgusted at the treatment of the girls and the whole time I was watching I was thinking at how I would have handled the situation if I were in it. I don't think I could have refrained from punching someone in the face the minute my parents left me there and was taken in for the medical exam which was more like a strip search in a major prison. When I am done with this review I will be surfing the net to see if there were charges brought up against Ms. Connie (played by Camryn Manheim) I certainly hope so. I also hope the place was closed down and someone sued them.

While you can tell the budget was not as deserved (because honestly, this movie deserved so much), the writing, message and experiences are genuine and shed light on the 'troubled teen' industry in a way that hasn't been done in media before. An important watch, with lines that emphasise the true nature of these 'wilderness retreats', and focusing on a black, female, neurodivergent, queer lead, it is clear that this film honestly wants to make victims of this industry seen, and raise awareness for the harm it does to children, no matter what shape or form they come in. Everyone, victims, parents, general public could benefit from watching this and using it to educate themselves on the disgusting, exploitative practices of the 'troubled teen' industry.

Troubled teen Kayla Adams' parents send her to juvenile detention center in Utah to get her the help she needs. Trouble is the people who run the facility need more help than she does! This was one of the BEST Lifetime movies this year acted with gritty realism! The acting, script and directing were top-notch. Kudos to Kelcey and Morgan for nailing their roles. Highly recommended!!!