A sleepy Georgian town called Elrod is the setting of Lauren Fash’s Through the Glass Darkly, a gritty, dark thriller about a woman desperate to find her missing daughter.

Robyn Lively (yes, Teen Witch’s adolescent sorceress) plays Charlie Glass, a woman friendly with the bottom of a whiskey bottle since her young daughter, Lily, went missing. The police have seemingly abandoned the hunt for her daughter and people whisper about Charlie everywhere she goes. Charlie is a quiet presence and doesn’t want to call attention herself. She taught Lily to refer to Charlie’s partner, Angela, by her first name so people wouldn’t cause any trouble.

When the daughter of a rich, prominent family, the Carmichaels, also goes missing, Charlie is determined to link the disappearances together. Charlie assumes that the police are only looking for Elodie Carmichael because the family has the money and privilege to receive help, but a reporter named Amy (a terrific Shanola Hampton) suspects something more sinister.

As the women come closer and closer to discovering the truth, the more Fash turns this procedural on its head. The town of Elrod might be small, but it’s a place where men abuse their power over women to get what they want. Since Charlie is gay, it enhances the danger and we haven’t seen many stories like this on the big screen.

The film is anchored by a quiet, powerful performance from Lively. Charlie is a woman who just wants to live her life, but Lily’s disappearance has turned her into a shell of a person. Charlie continually finds herself looking into dark corners of Elrod and the town is not the country hamlet it appears to be.

The determination of a mother’s love is fierce and strong, and Charlie will sacrifice everything in order to find the truth.

~ Joey Moser

Official Selection – Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival

Official Selection – Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival