'Stolen By Their Father' Review: An emotional roller coaster ride of a mom battling for her kids
'Stolen By Their Father,' a Lifetime original film, is based on the actual story of Lizbeth Meredith (Sarah Drew), who is forced to battle for her girls after her ex-husband Greg (Kimonos Kouris) kidnaps them and takes them to Greece. Meredith's memoir ‘Piece of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters’ is the basis for the film.
Meredith sends her young girls for a non-custodial visit to their violent father, only to find out days later that he has kidnapped them and taken them to Greece with him. Upon realizing that her kids have been kidnapped, it flashes traumatic events of how her own mother stole her from her father and took her somewhere, where she was made to feel unwanted during her whole childhood. To ensure her children don't have to face a similar situation, Meredith journeys to the White House and Greece, devoting every penny and favor she can to reclaim her children. You may also add more true-crime films to your watchlist, such as 'Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez', 'Single Black Female' and 'The Wrong High School Sweetheart'.
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The film depicts societal themes such as domestic abuse and psychological issues. Meredith felt unwanted as a kid since her mother moved her away from her father; throughout the film, she compares her condition to that of her other children. She was scared, deep down in her heart, that her children would have to go through what she had. The film also depicts how children are impacted by their parent's divorce or separation, as well as how this has an impact on their mental health.
The entire film fails to depict how those two little girls were terrified of their parents and how unsure they were of their ability to trust any of their parents. Not only that but two years of their lives were squandered between going to Greece and then returning to Alaska.
Mothers may turn every stone to save their children, and Meredith was no exception. Sarah Drew, playing the key character, delivers a stunning performance. Sarah aptly shows the emotion of a single mother yearning to regain her children via her actions. Carina Battrick, Caroline Palmer, Tara Yelland, and Jinny Wong play the supporting roles and manage to hold their own with Simone Stock aptly putting the movie in place from behind the lens.
Overall, the thriller, mystery, and emotional aspects of the film make it a one-time watch.
