The Girl in the River (2026): Split Scores, Tense

Seasoned criminologist Alan Kramer (Devon Sawa) has seen it all. A burned-out veteran of profiling and interrogation, he’s been called to the remote Mississippi town of Blackwater Bend to consult on a case that has the local sheriff’s department baffled. A little girl, Julie Trembley (Sarah Murphree), was found murdered in the river that runs through the town’s spine. Her twin sister, a girl named Lucy, has vanished without a trace.

Kramer is paired against his will with Amelia Pembrock (Maggie Grace), a young and idealistic psychologist whose methods are more intuitive than empirical. Their clash of philosophies - old-school observation versus modern behavioral analysis - forms the uneasy backbone of the investigation. They’re aided by Captain Graysmith (Tiffany Haddish), a by-the-book local law enforcement officer who’s clearly hiding something, and Colin Ripley (Ralph Macchio), a grizzled town elder who seems to know more about the Trembley family’s troubled history than he lets on. As Kramer and Pembrock dig deeper, they uncover a web of small-town secrets, religious fervor, and a history of violence that suggests the river has claimed more than one victim before.

The first act of “The Girl in the River” is its strongest asset. Benetton, who clearly loves the cinematic language of films like “Mystic River” and “True Detective,” establishes an oppressive, almost tangible sense of dread. The cinematography is gorgeous in its grimness - golden hour light filtering through Spanish moss, mud-caked boots, and the constant, menacing sound of flowing water. The atmosphere is so thick you could choke on it.

Maggie Grace delivers a surprisingly nuanced performance as Pembrock. She’s not just a naive foil; Grace gives her a steel backbone and a sharp intellect that slowly erodes Kramer’s cynicism. Devon Sawa, meanwhile, plays Kramer with a weary, hangdog stoicism that fits the character perfectly. He’s the kind of guy who’s seen too much and trusts too little, and Sawa makes his eventual thaw compelling. Tiffany Haddish is the biggest surprise - she plays Captain Graysmith with a completely straight face, burying her comedic instincts to portray a woman torn between protocol and conscience. Ralph Macchio, sadly, is underutilized, spending most of his screen time looking ominous in the background.

However, the cracks start to show in the second act. The central mystery, initially intriguing, begins to rely on convenient coincidences and withheld information. Characters act illogically simply to extend the runtime. There’s a particularly frustrating sequence where Pembrock visits a key witness alone at night, despite the audience screaming at her not to - a trope so tired it feels almost like a parody. The dialogue also wavers between sharp, naturalistic exchanges and clumsily expository speeches where characters explain the plot to one another as if they’re reading a synopsis.

The biggest flaw is the climax. After building such intricate tension, the resolution feels rushed and anticlimactic. The culprit’s motive is underdeveloped, and a potential twist involving the twin’s disappearance is handled with a confusing ambiguity that feels less like artistic choice and more like a failure to commit. The film tries to land a gut-punch finale about grief and secrets, but it misses the mark, ending with a whimper rather than a bang. It’s a shame, because visually and tonally, it sets up a masterpiece. But structurally, it collapses under the weight of its own ambition.

Pros

• Moody, atmospheric direction from Brando Benetton
• Strong central performances, particularly Maggie Grace and Tiffany Haddish
• Effective and haunting depiction of rural Mississippi
• A compellingly creepy soundtrack and sound design

Cons

• Rushed and underdeveloped third act resolution
• Reliance on tired investigative thriller cliches
• Ralph Macchio’s character is underutilized
• A muddy narrative that sacrifices logic for atmosphere

“The Girl in the River” is a film at war with itself. Director Brando Benetton shows a masterful eye for visual storytelling, able to turn a simple riverbank into a character filled with malevolent intent. The performers are clearly invested, working hard to elevate material that often underwhelms them. But a good-looking thriller needs a plot that holds water, and this one springs a leak early on, only to sink completely by the finale.

The disparity between the TMDb and IMDb scores makes sense now; this is a film that will appeal greatly to viewers who prioritize mood and performance over narrative coherence, while frustrating those who demand a tight, logical mystery. It’s a gorgeous, frustrating, almost-great movie, worth a watch for its haunting aesthetic and Grace’s performance, but it’s a film you’ll admire more than you’ll love. It asks you to get lost in the murk of its river, but unlike its title character, you may find yourself wishing for a way back to the shore well before the credits roll.