CUT TO THE BONE

The disappearance of a popular young vlogger becomes more sinister when threatening videos of her surface online.

Ruby Day, a fresh, wholesome face in the world of YouTube video stars, made upbeat segments that attracted millions of followers—until one afternoon she told her parents she was going for a walk and never returned. DCI Kate Riley, an American transplant to London, and DS Zain Harris are called in. There’s some question as to how quickly the police can respond to a missing persons report until Riley and Harris realize the request came from the new police crime commissioner, Justin Hope, the man in charge of policing in London. The two detectives turn first, at Ruby’s parents’ insistence, to Dan Grant, a gamer who has his own YouTube video empire and is Ruby’s creepily possessive boyfriend. It’s not long after attention is focused on Dan that videos crop up of Ruby being held, obviously against her will, at an undisclosed location. It’s clear that Caan (this is his American debut) might be trying to juggle too many balls at once when the investigation balloons into not just trying to track down Ruby (no spoilers, but things don’t look great for our missing vlogger, judging from the videos), but also tracing the advertisers, lawyers, and the company involved in producing shows like Ruby's and Dan’s. Things start to sound a little far-fetched when Riley and Harris start talking about connections to mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And as for the investigators, they’re a bit too baggage-heavy to be believable; Harris has quick fists that belie a wounded soul beneath while Riley struggles to care for her dementia-riddled mother.

An intriguing concept that sadly boils down to motives that are as predictable and mundane as too many of the so-called twists.