A boy who mysteriously disappears returns to his family after an absence of ten years. But the police suspect that he is an imposter. What is the true story of the missing kid? "Donovan Reid" was a modest film that developed good suspense in the drama of the identity of the title character.

A conflict ensues when the father believes that his son has returned, but the mother believes that he is not her son. A DNA test will determine the truth. But in the meantime, the film frequently flashes back to the period when the youngster had been kept in a virtual state of captivity by a strange woman. It was not even clear if he had received much in the way of an education.

While the father was sympathetic, as well as the neighbor Harbor, who had befriended the young Donovan, there was a sinister aura surrounding the other characters. The filmmakers were successful in allowing the audience to piece together the story right along with Donovan, who clearly suffered from amnesia.

At times, the dialogue was clunky and the casting choices raised questions in credibility. The father and Donovan seemed to be nearly the same age. Also, the police officer's aggressive tactics in interrogating Donovan seemed excessive. Still, this was a thoughtful though disturbing film that should generate lively discussion about the bizarre world of Donovan Reid.

Not perfect, but I liked it. It highlights a story that is a much bigger problem in our society than the whitewashed stories of "missing" children. People who think they know what the twist is obviously just came here to trash the film without watching it. No, it is not just a story of an impostor pretending to be a missing boy. It is miscast though, as the actor looks 40, not 25.

From wire to wire, the fascinating and suspenseful "Donovan Reid" offers its own unique brand of intrigue in this outstanding spin on the traditional missing persons vehicle.

A young adult male (played by Weston Lee Ball) enters a police station. On a piece of paper, he simply writes, "I am Donovan Reid," thereby gifting us with the inciting incident to an exceedingly well-crafted film, and one which commands our keen attention throughout. It comes to pass that a boy by that same name disappeared a decade back, and his case has been a point of consumption for Detective Schleicher (Mike Schaffer). Yet this particular young man may or may not be Donovan, and doubts extend from the detective on down to Donovan's own mother (Lydia Revelos). His father Hank (Anthony Martinez),however, needs no further convincing; this is surely the return of his own prodigal son.

Director and co-writer Austin Smagalski crafts layers of enveloping intrigue with enchanting back-story glimpses that grab the viewer by the cranium. The film's true greatness is tonal, and best manifested in its expert creation of atmospheric pressure and an ambiguity that permeates throughout. We've seen this true-life story play out on the evening news, and we're always pulling for the parents: Our hopes are that the mysterious figure self-declared as the long-lost child is indeed exactly that. As it rests its case, "Donovan Reid" has successfully worked the fringes here in a way that the best suspense vehicles of major Hollywood studios rarely muster, and it does so without the benefit of comparatively unlimited resources. Heavily recommended, and with no reservations. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!)