Every Secret Thing

This film tells the story of two eighteen year old girls, who were just released from prison for murder of a child. They are under suspicion of recidivism because another three year old girl is missing.

Nothing prepares me for the emotional intensity of "Every Secret Thing". The plot is very good because it draws me in like a magnet right from the start. The two girls in question, Alice and Ronnie, both give fantastic portrayal of being troubled individuals. They may appear innocent or guilty, but nothing is as it seems. The character of Alice is particularly captivating, especially towards the end. It makes viewers wonder what kind of upbringing would cause such an outcome, which is partially answered in the film's various subplots. "Every Secret Thing" is thrilling and thought provoking.

Every Secret Thing is a mystery drama about the previous murder of a young girl and the search for a currently missing girl. It mainly relates to the two young adults who were found guilty of the death of a young girl 7 years previously and who are now suspects in the current missing girl case.

The film is very well paced and totally enthralling. It uses flashbacks very effectively to show what could of happened during the previous murder so you don't really know who was responsible until the end of the film.

The strong cast featuring Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, Dakota Fanning and Nate Parker are excellent but special mention goes to Danielle Macdonald who I'd never heard of previously who does a brilliant job as Alice Manning.

You never know how the film will end up and I found the very end of the film to be especially chilling. The only negative I can find is that I thought the film could have been a little longer in length.

It's quite rare to find decent intelligent dramas these days but this small effort really does hit the mark. Highly recommended.

This is an interesting little film. It's a dark story full of grim characters, most of the which are the type you hope never enter your life. You could call this film predictable (and it is to be fair) but I don't think that's where the strength of this film was ever supposed to lie. The strength lies in just how interesting the characters are. The mystery of just how evil each of them potentially is just adds to things.

For an under-the-radar film it has a pretty strong cast. Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks and Dakota Fanning all turn in strong performances and the lesser known actors do a good job as well. It's also well directed and despite there being almost no action scenes during the 90 minute run time, the film never drags which is always a good sign. Altogether it's a fine little film that I hope a lot more people get the chance to see.

If you enjoy character driven crime movies then this should satisfy. I can best describe it as a movie version of a Law and Order episode, like SVU or Criminal Intent. I loved Law and Order so that wasn't a problem for me. The story here is tragic rather than a taunt thriller. There are some question marks. In both the abduction cases there seems to be a lack of police boots on the ground, and it's true that no-one tends to leave an infant on a front porch, but then again, that detail is a defensive flashback on the part of the two naive perpetrators, both of whom were too young to truly realise what they were really doing, and boots on the ground may be one of those details that is assumed. Every Secret Thing is a solid story with very capable actors. I was genuinely surprised by the ending. The movie is a careful process that allows one to think, to be outraged, to understand, to forgive, and feel, and that, after all is what movies are supposed to do. This is a cautionary tale well worth visiting.

A three year old child goes missing in a small town where two teenage girls live, girls who had been recently released from prisoned for a previous child kidnapping and murder. Needless to say, suspicion soon falls on them.

The central idea in this film recalls the notorious British crime, the Jamie Bulger case. In this instance two young boys kidnapped and killed a toddler. It created a media storm and has remained notorious ever since. For this reason, the ideas underpinning this story are based on controversial ground but the film itself is handled in a very understated manner. It's partly a police procedural mystery and part psychological drama. Of the former, it is perhaps not as intriguing as it could be, although admittedly it does have some twists and turns; of the latter it is perhaps more successful where it looks at why a couple of damaged girls and one mother act the way they do. It's an efficient film, rather than an especially good one but it did keep my interest from start to finish.