The Girl in the River review - forensic psychologist police procedural thriller

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, October 14, 2026

The Girl in the River follows detectives investigating the murder of a political figure’s daughter found in the Mississippi River, uncovering a staged crime scene and a problematic prime suspect. Despite strong performances and a fast pace, the film ultimately delivers a conventional plot with little emotional depth, arriving on digital platforms October 19.

The Girl in the River, a small-town police thriller directed by Brando Benetton, centers on the investigation of the murder of a 14-year-old girl, the daughter of a local political figure. The victim was found in the Mississippi River, near a conspicuous bridge, suggesting that the perpetrator deliberately positioned the body to be discovered. Veteran detective Alan Kramer (Devon Sawa) and rookie forensic psychologist Amelia Pembrock (Maggie Grace) lead the inquiry, quickly uncovering a gun hidden nearby. This discovery prompts a colleague’s comment that the crime scene seems less like a cleanup and more like a deliberate message.

Despite the intriguing premise, the film struggles to develop a compelling narrative from this setup. Rather than using the crime scene’s unusual details to explore deeper community dynamics, the story unfolds into a conventional and somewhat implausible manhunt. The investigators focus on Boris (Darron Dunbar), a local butcher with a troubling history and living with his mother. Pembrock’s profiling leads her to consider Boris a prime suspect despite a lack of concrete evidence, a point at which Kramer voices skepticism, highlighting shortcomings in the investigative process. However, Pembrock’s role as a criminologist—typically an academic or sociologist—appears oddly placed in active fieldwork.

The film’s tone leans toward a parodic take on noir and police procedural tropes. It includes characters embodying familiar archetypes: an obsessive desk officer, a seasoned detective battling personal demons nearing retirement, an irate police captain portrayed by Tiffany Haddish, and an affable town coroner played by Ralph Macchio. The script often intervenes overtly to guide the detectives back on track when the plot falters. Local media cooperation and a dramatized community uprising provide convenient narrative momentum as leads dry up.

Performances by Grace and Sawa provide some grounding, with their portrayals injecting moments of believability into the otherwise uneven sleuthing. Director Benetton maintains a brisk pace that prevents the film’s many flaws from becoming overly distracting. Nevertheless, the story lacks emotional depth and resolution. In particular, Kramer’s concluding reflection on widespread corruption lacks persuasive impact, resembling the victim's fate as unresolved.

The Girl in the River will be available on digital platforms starting October 19.

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