Based on real events that shocked Long Island and now adapted into a 2025 Netflix limited series, called Gone Girls. Lost Girls (2020) digs into the tragic disappearance of Shannan Gilbert and the broader mystery it unearthed.
Lost Girls Trailer Breakdown (2020)
The trailer wastes no time establishing the stakes: Mari Gilbert, Shannan’s mother, refuses to accept silence from the authorities. As she finds her way in deeper, the film uncovers systemic indifference toward missing sex workers. There are multiple sets of remains, and the uncomfortable possibility of police negligence, or worse.
“My daughter didn’t run away. She’s missing.”
“While searching for a missing girl, our officers located four bodies.”
“No one’s talking about our girls. And when they do, it’s never ‘mother, daughter.’”
This trailer outlines the key investigative beats and injustices the film dramatizes. It’s not spoiler-free, but it powerfully sets the emotional and narrative tone for many unresolved cases.
👇 Watch the trailer below, then continue reading for Mother of Movies’ verdict, with updated streaming options for both the 2020 feature and the new 2025 mini-series.
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Websleuths Long Island Serial Killer
Netflix dropped the Lost Girls movie in March 2020. I was surprised to learn that this Long Island serial killer story is based on an unsolved crime. This is not the first story set around the mysterious killer(s) dubbed ‘LISK’, Golgo Beach Killer’, and the ‘Craigslist Ripper.’ There’s a documentary, a previous feature film, and various episodes of some crime show like The Killing Season TV Show and Crime Junkie. In 2025, Netflix dropped another limited series, Gone Girls, as well. Lost Girls tells the story of missing and murdered sex workers from the perspective of the mothers. Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan) learns her daughter, Shannan, is missing. For true crime enthusiasts, Lost Girls is a good way to spend 95 minutes.
Additionally, Long Island serial killer web sleuths abound on the internet. These web investigators have banded together in a collection of sites on the internet to try and solve this open investigation. The truth is, these murders didn’t happen all that long ago. Remains were unearthed as recently as 2011. So far, 10 sets of remains have been discovered, including a man and a toddler. Another five unidentified women are still listed as possibly being related to the other victims.
Lost Girls is centered around one sex worker, Shannan, who is subsequently found to be unrelated to the other deaths. The film does a great job of utilizing a quasi-vigilante group set on kicking up dust. It’s through Mari, refusing to take no for an answer, that she finally gets the attention of the authorities. Without her, many of the bodies would simply have remained unfound. The story is based on a novel by the same name, written by Robert Kolker.
The screenplay is put together by Michael Werwie, the writer behind Netflix’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, whose second feature film shows he likes to live in ambiguity. Both films can tell a well-known story and throw lots of shade at it.
Lost Girls Netflix True Story
The film begins quite slowly. Those looking for a grisly reenactment of how the murders might have taken place will not get what they came for. Lost Girls highlights the injustices that sometimes raise eyebrows for those looking for closure for cases deemed not important enough to look into. This story is the perfect example of the reasons why taking all crimes seriously should be part and parcel of the job. Are sex workers less important than everyone else? I found myself thinking about Jack the Ripper and wondered if, as a society, sometimes we have learned nothing.
Performances in the Lost Girls movie are relatively good. Amy Ryan’s portrayal of Mari shows necessary conviction. She plays a parent in dire circumstances. Mari is doing the best she can with the hand she is dealt. Thomasin McKenzie and Oona Laurence play her kids, and both, for me, were somewhat unmemorable. I believe focusing less on Mari’s children might have enhanced the story’s overall impact. Reed Birney plays the suspicious Dr. Hackett, and he manages to be both menacing and convincing in his role here.
Dr. Peter Hackett and other Suspects
One issue I found myself pondering was that when the credits rolled, it was the prime suspect. The film focuses much of its vitriol on one particular suspect. Dr. Peter Hackett is who Mari maintains as the killer throughout most of the movie. If you miss some of the minor details, it’s quite likely many will leave the viewing and wonder why. I had to dig around, but this doctor had his wife and two children as alibis. He is being sued for wrongful death by Mari Gilbert; however, apart from this, he is in the clear. It seems he may have been responsible for Shannan’s death. However, he is deemed unlikely as a prime suspect for the other murders.
Also pointed out during the film is Joseph Brewer, the man who hired Shannan the night she disappeared. For whatever reason, he was cleared almost immediately.
The Lost Girls movie also points to someone in the police force being involved, and in 2016, a police chief, James Burke, was put in prison for conspiracy to obstruct justice following beating someone who stole a duffel bag from his car. Another man, John Bittrolff, was also deemed a likely candidate. The guy’s in jail, though, already, and his long-term incarceration meant prosecutors decided they weren’t going to pursue it. The final suspect killed himself when remains began to be uncovered in the marshes. He was a supplier of burlap and also ran a nursery in the area.
Who is the Long Island Serial Killer?
Overall, the Lost Girls is a fascinating story and those looking for more information on where this case is in present times can check out either Gilgo News or Websleuths.
For other stories about finding missing girls, watch Searching or Piggy
Looking for more great true crime stories? Check our article Best True Crime Movies From Australia | Woman of the Hour 2024 | Lyvia’s House 2024 and add one of these films to your watchlist next!
The Verdict
The Lost Girls movie is rated
3.5 lives matter out of 5
Streaming Options for Gone Girls 2025 (TV Series) and Lost Girls 2020
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
“The killer behind the Gilgo Beach serial killings, also referred to as the Long Island Serial Killer or “Craigslist Ripper”, has been the subject of multiple films, podcasts and documentaries, culminating in the 2025 limited‑series Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer on Netflix.” from the review on highonfilms.com
Lost Girls, 2020 Film
“No one’s talking about our girls. And when they do, it’s never ‘mother, daughter.” From the case of the Mari Gilbert (featured in the story of Lost Girls)” – Mother of Movies quote from the film.
