Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini

I'm "okay" with a bad made for tv movie. Because like, now we have a reference of a big deal simplified and dramatized in a compact 1.5 hours. It's bad, dont get me wrong... but you don't watch lifetime movies for the Oscar creds.

My issue comes down to production's irresponsible ignorance of the facts. Theres been a minimum of 5 docs about this case. We ALL KNOW she cut her hair. All her interviews were with her hair cut. ALSO the person that found her was a man, you can hear it in the 911 call. Im okay with dramatizing and taking certain liberties, but c'mon.. how does your art/HMU department overlook that? I'm just not a fan of entire projects greenlighted to have such important things overlooked. Lifetime, we know you arent quality entertainment, but why skimp on simple things?

I had followed the case of Sherri Papini through a true crime podcaster that I watch. The case fascinated me, that a woman would go to such lengths as what Papini did with her fake kidnapping, that I thought I must check out the movie.

Right from the start I was aware that the acting was very flat as was the story telling. I am usually a fan of Jaime King, I love her as Rose in the series Black Summer, however I really struggled to watch her portray Sherri Papini. I struggled with all the cast.

For a movie based on a true crime I was very disappointed. I hope someone else has a crack at turning this story into a film.

I sometimes don't understand what viewers expect to see when the producers release a made for TV true crime film. Sherri Papini disappeared on November 2, 2016, when her husband stated she went out jogging and he found some of her belongings about a mile from her home in Redding, California. Mrs. Papini re-appeared on American Thanksgiving Day looking haggard after being dumped on the side of the road close to her home at which time she declared that she was kidnapped by two Mexican women and treated worse than a dog would be.

This story captured the hearts of millions of Americans and even broader worldwide as her story continued to spread. No doubt, the story of a white, blonde mother of two young children being kidnapped was sensationalized by the vast media coverage and Mrs. Sherri Papini was pressured into telling and re-telling her story to the authorities as well as to the press. Unbeknownst to Mrs. Papini's husband Keith, who was visibly distraught when his wife went missing and even more so with finding out first-hand what supposedly outright torture she was subjected to, he (Keith Papini) wanted to find his wife's abductors and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.

It may have taken the authorities a few years to get to the bottom of the true story and actual events but not until both the government and many caring people doled out some cold hard cash to the Papini family in their (supposedly) time of need did the truth finally come to the surface. Who wouldn't sympathize with Sherri Papini's awful plight of being kidnapped and tortured?

As for those viewers who were expecting first rate actors to play the key roles, I just have to remind them that this was a low budget made for TV film which probably took less than four (4) months from start to finish to being released on the small screen. In March 2022, it was reported that DNA found on Sherri Papini's clothing matched that of an ex-boyfriend, James Reyes, who confirmed that Papini stayed with him at his residence in Southern California during the time she was allegedly kidnapped. In September 2022, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $300,000.

I thought the producers, directors and all the actors did an admirable job of representing both the series of events and Ms. Papini's subsequent prosecution. If there is any sympathy to be expected it is for her husband Keith, and his two young children whose lives have been tarnished forever because of some critical indiscretions and self-absorbed need for false fame of Sherri Papini.

I give this made for TV film a credible 6 out of 10 IMDb rating.

Im not a fan of these sort of TV movies but once in a while there is a little gem out there... This wasn't one of them.

It at times can be pretty awful and inane to occasionally passable as a drama. Jaime French is about the only good thing in this and thats barely.

Everyone goes through the motions and tells this day by day account of a true story I knew nothing about. After watching this i had no interest in finding out more.

The psychology of something like this I'd probably find interesting but the story in itself is pretty dull or its made out to be dull.

If you are really bored and really want to watch a reenactment of this true story then you might get something out of it, sadly not for me

3 or 4 out of 10.

What or whose perspective is this story? The public? The husband? The direction of the story appears to shift blame to an inattentive husband. He over reacts, underreacts, seems wooden- offish. She a woman described as 'perfect' 'vivacious', 'energetic' 'put together', is portrayed as someone who would be described as dull, disheveled, is conveyed so differently-"depressed, Bored, abused, on the verge of a breakdown?" There is little to no depiction of the torture her husband endured, nor is there empathy.

Don't waste your time.

It's not the acting as eluded to in a previous review. It's the story arc. There's no point of view, no empathy, & the personalities too off.