The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story

15-year-old Kara Robinson (Katie Douglas) gets taken from her friend's front lawn by gun-wielding creepy Richard Evonitz (Kristian Bruun) in broad daylight. He forces her into a plastic container. Her mother Debra Robinson (Cara Buono) struggles to get the police to take her seriously.

The first half is mostly Kara with her creepy captor. She has the mantra of survival which seems to be the theme of the movie. The second half could have been an intense manhunt for the creep, but the movie is more interested in Kara. I can appreciate that in a Lifetime true crime story. As for Katie Douglas, the twentysomething does look like a small teenager when compared to Kristian Bruun. That helps sell the realism.

Of course this LifeTime film ignored some of the more brutal aspects of Kara Robinson's kidnapping and her eventual escape at the hands of her kidnapper Richard Evonitz. Both lead actors Katie Douglas who played Kara Robinson and little known (but busy) character actor. Kristian Bruun who played the real life kidnapper Richard Evonitz excelled in their respective roles.

After Richard is successful in containing the frightened Kara in his apartment he begins to ask her a series of personal questions that any parent of a teenage child would be disgusted with having to listen to, let alone realize what was about to happen to Kara repeatedly over the next 18 hours at the hands of her kidnapper Richard Evonitz.

Escape was on Kara's mind from the get go, and if the viewer realizes that this was an actual kidnapping and sexual assault the viewer need only try and put themselves in Kara's position and ask yourself the following: "Would I have the same determination and focus as Kara did to survive and escape?"

I rate this true crime story a decent 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.

So this is a real story about a girl that kidnapped that really touched me. I liked some technicalities such as the sound design, cause it was often like a heartbeat which really made my heartbeat follow the rhythm. Plus I liked the performance of little Kara, she was really good, and the fact that the movie did not show the violent scenes. Finally I liked the simple cinematography.

What I didn't like: well the screenplay was not as great, there were some holes. Also some people were saying the same thing over and over again, it was not a certain word or phrase but whole dialogs. I understand that in real life in this situation you would probably make the same conversations but this is a movie, and the audience is going to get bored sometimes.

Otherwise it was really good one of the best of its kind.

... and this film is not going to be part of it. On Ginny and Georgia, Douglas manages to make her character stand out by underplaying, and by relying on her natural charisma. On that show, of course, she is aided by A-list writers, cast members, directors. This movie, on its best day, dressed in its best Sunday suit, is a B-movie, with shortcuts taken everywhere. Many obvious opportunities for deep emotional beats are missed, simply because the actors and the script are not up to snuff. The PR package makes a huge fuss about Kara's courage, which, in real life, was staggering. None of that comes through here. Emotions are like a roller coaster. To create the "up," you must first create the "down." By deliberately minimizing the horror of the captivity, writer Haley Harris denied viewers access to the downs. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

"The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story" is a gripping true crime documentary that follows the harrowing journey of Kara Robinson, a survivor of human trafficking.

The documentary is a powerful reminder of the horrors of human trafficking and the importance of bringing awareness to this issue. Through interviews with Kara Robinson, her family, and law enforcement officials, viewers are able to gain insight into the tactics and strategies of human traffickers, and the devastating impact that this crime has on victims and their families.

One of the strengths of the documentary is its focus on Kara Robinson's resilience and strength. Despite the unimaginable trauma she endured, Kara shares her story with remarkable candor and bravery. Her courage is a testament to the human spirit and serves as an inspiration to others who have survived similar ordeals.

The film also highlights the importance of collaboration between law enforcement and community organizations in the fight against human trafficking. Viewers see how law enforcement officials worked closely with Kara's family and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to locate her and bring her captors to justice.

However, one criticism of the documentary is that it could have gone deeper into the issue of human trafficking and its root causes. While the film is successful in raising awareness of the issue, it leaves the audience with many questions about what can be done to prevent trafficking and support survivors.

Overall, "The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story" is a powerful and important documentary that sheds light on the dark world of human trafficking. It is a reminder that we all have a role to play in combating this crime and supporting survivors.