‘Girl in the Picture‘ is a true crime Netflix documentary directed by Skye Borgman. It recounts the story of Tonya Hughes, a hit-and-run victim whose son was kidnapped soon after.

Going by the name Sharon, Tonya Hughes lived with an evil and creepy man with whom she had a child. Hughes was the victim of a hit-and-run and her co-workers helped bury her. Days later, her son goes into foster care, but his father kidnaps the boy, leading to a nationwide manhunt. Soon, it becomes Sharon had many aliases and the man who some thought were husband, was actually her abuser and even posed as her father at one point. With help from friends, police detectives, a reporter, and family, everyone works to find out who she was and to catch her killer.

This documentary is done with excellence. I liked how the story stays focused and didn’t diverge from the story of Tonya Hughes and her poor son who got caught up in this tragedy. It was a sad story, but one that needed to be told. Tonya could be anyone. She was a kidnap victim who was used and abused by the evil man who raised her. He made her a parent twice, only to murder her and her son, but fortunately, her daughter escaped and was raised by a loving couple.

A lot of documentaries do lose that focus on telling the victim’s story only to use them as a stepping stone to get on a political soapbox. Tonya’s story is never forgotten and her story pulls you in. The editing, the camera work, and the discussions surrounding the story were well-made. The details are not for the squeamish so be prepared when you stream it.

I was cautious going into it, but I found the story enlightening, enthralling, and one that while it had incredibly tragic moments, had hope at the end.

Check out the trailer below:

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Foul language, Descriptions of sexual violence, Disturbing content

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews Sins of the Father: The Green River Killer and Gladbeck: The Hostage Crisis. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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