A tense and emotionally charged drama is currently streaming on Netflix, that sheds light on a true story marked by overlooked evidence, institutional silence, and one mother’s unwavering fight. Directed by Liz Garbus and first screened at the Sundance Film Festival, the film confronts the chilling crimes linked to the Long Island serial killer — not from the perspective of the perpetrator, but through the eyes of a mother who refuses to be ignored any longer.
A gripping drama weaving social critique, family grief, and relentless pursuit of truth, it complements a related Netflix docuseries, Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer, offering a fuller picture of a case that haunted New York for years. Here’s everything you need to know about Lost Girls.
Also read ► The New Releases on Netflix this Week
- Title: Lost Girls
- Format: Film
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- Genre: Crime drama, true-crime thriller
- Release date: March 13, 2020
- Director: Liz Garbus
- Lead cast: Amy Ryan, Gabriel Byrne, Thomasin McKenzie
- Produced by: Archer Gray, Langley Park Productions, Netflix
Lost Girls tells the story of Mari Gilbert, a single mother living on society’s margins, struggling with financial instability and family strains. When her daughter Shannan disappears after a mysterious 911 call, law enforcement quickly dismisses the case, branding it as just another young “at-risk girl.”
The film follows Mari’s determined fight to break through the silence. Her relentless pursuit exposes a series of oversights, biases, and failures to act—a system unwilling to listen or intervene. The mood is dark and tense, fueled by pain that seeks not sympathy but justice. As more bodies are found along Gilgo Beach, Mari’s personal tragedy intersects with one of America’s most haunting crime chapters, revealing a network of indifference and vulnerability.
Also read ► A mother’s betrayal shocks Netflix viewers in its No.1 documentary
The cast
Amy Ryan leads the film as Mari Gilbert, portraying a mother who refuses to be dismissed. Known for Gone Baby Gone and her long run on The Office, Ryan brings a steady, unvarnished intensity that matches the film’s grounded approach.
Thomasin McKenzie, later seen in Jojo Rabbit and Last Night in Soho, appears as Shannan Gilbert. Her limited screen time is intentional; the character’s absence shapes the emotional stakes of the story, and McKenzie gives her moments a quiet, lingering weight.
Gabriel Byrne plays Detective Peter Hackett, offering a restrained, conflicted presence that reflects the institutional uncertainty surrounding the case. Byrne’s background in dramas like In Treatment helps anchor the film’s procedural elements.
Supporting performances from Lola Kirke, Oona Laurence, and others expand the narrative to include the broader circle of women affected by the events at Gilgo Beach, underscoring the larger human context behind the investigation.
Critical reception
Director Liz Garbus, acclaimed for her social documentaries, crafts a focused film free from sensationalism. The pacing is deliberate and measured, centering on the victims’ and families’ perspectives. The tension arises not from a traditional mystery, but from confronting a system that fails its people. The film’s unvarnished approach distinguishes it from more conventional true crime narratives, focusing not on the killer but on the systemic failures that left young women unprotected and unheard.
The true story behind Lost Girls
The movie Lost Girls is adapted from Robert Kolker’s best-selling book, expanded from his New York Magazine cover story about the Gilgo Beach murders. His reporting traces the lives of five young women in their twenties – Shannan, Maureen, Megan, Melissa, and Amber – who disappeared between 2007 and 2010 after advertising on Craigslist. Four of their bodies were later found along Gilgo Beach, a remote stretch of Long Island shoreline, leading investigators to link the cases to a single perpetrator, later known as the Long Island serial killer.
► You may also like: This film with Jessica Chastain left the Netflix audience speechless… And it’s a true story!
Kolker’s work restores individuality to the women behind the headlines, showing that they weren’t outcasts or clichés. Each had her own aspirations – acceptance, stability, love, freedom, safety – and came from communities hit hard by limited opportunity. By focusing on their lives as much as their deaths, the book, and the film inspired by it, spotlight the systemic neglect that shaped the case from the start.
While the case remained unsolved for years, public attention never faded. The film’s release in 2020 helped renew public discourse around the investigation. In 2023, authorities arrested Rex Heuermann, a New York architect, in connection with several of the murders, reopening national conversation about institutional responsibility, victim profiling, and long-overdue accountability.
When to watch on Netflix
Lost Girls has been streaming on Netflix U.S. since March 13, 2020.
► Watch Lost Girls on Netflix
