Having good intentions is not always a guarantee of making a good movie - unless you are good at what you do. 'Still here' looked promising on paper but comes in as a difficult watch on many levels - including, messy editing, direction, photography, and a poorly realised script - featuring very few convincing situations and many unfocused characters. It comes across as another excuse to push the agenda of the unhelpful law and its big bad white guy type policing...offering little more than supposition to back up its accusations.

Then, as if attempting to add some form of balance, one of the white detectives is shown in a detailed scene having an unexplained change of heart - but of course, his epiphany results in changing nothing, next we see of him he's right back to his nasty ol self. These types of character inconsistencies tend to continue across the board.

Most acting is from the over the top school of expression - while some of this might sometimes work, overall , it's ultimately tiresome. The story is claimed as based on facts but these 'facts' come across as manufactured and mostly unbelievable (especially the resolution). Pity, as it offers the odd good line, and might have been better if given a sure-handed approach. A pile-on of endless foul language adds nothing to the general proceedings.

This is inspired by true events.

Monique Watson of Brooklyn goes missing. Only her family seems to care. Christian Baker (Johnny Whitworth ) a reporter doe his own investigation to help locate her. He gets a clue and runs a story claiming the police are not doing their job.

It is interesting on how we accuse folks on loose circumstances and coincidences.Well done. I just did feel it.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

IN A NUTSHELL: Inspired by a true story, this social drama offers a mystery, but also a serious look at the missing children epidemic in the world today. What's crazy is that another similar story was in the news only one week after the principal photography wrapped up and it happened just a few blocks from where the movie was filmed.

Written and directed by Vlad Feier. This is also his directorial debut! Great job!

According to the FBI's National Crime Information Center, there are a total of 465,676 active missing person records. As one of the characters in the movie says, "This is not just a police department's responsibility. It is the people's responsibility."

TIPS FOR PARENTS: This is a serious drama with no action or humor and with a very difficult topic. Profanity, including 1 F-bomb Most kids will be bored watching this. Parents will be heartbroken.

THEMES: Seeing through your soul, not just your eyes Truth Missing children Faith Hope Family, parenting

THINGS I LIKED: I thought Maurice McRae was excellent. I really felt his pain. I liked the honest and hopeful message of the film and that it brings to light an issue that is easily overlooked in society. No country is exempt. A lot of the cast was very good, except for a few overacting moments. It was really frustrating to see how corrupt and even apathetic the police department was. I know there are a lot of really great policemen who risk their lives every day to protect our communities, but I also believe that there are some bad cops like the ones portrayed in the film. The violent riots in the USA right now are not going to solve the problem. Cops are leaving their jobs and moving out of the cities in droves because of them. Then who is going to protect the people? Vigilantes? Defunding the police makes no sense. Retraining them or not hiring racists are two options. We all need to work together to solve problems. That may sound simplistic, but what's happening in the United States right now is definitely not helping. As a parent, I know it's impossible to be with your child every minute of the day. We need to teach our kids how to protect themselves and stay away from dangerous situations as much as possible. That doesn't guarantee our kids will be safe, but we can help increase their awareness and personal protection skills a little bit. I was happy to see faith introduced in the movie, even though this is not a Christian film. The portrayal of two Christian parents was honest and touching. Having faith definitely doesn't mean you won't ever have problems, but it can absolutely help you get through them.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Some will reject and even be offended by the White Savior element in the story/movie. Some of the sound effects actually hurt my ears. The title of the movie is a giveaway. It's a bit of a slow burn. I like Zazie Beetz, so I was disappointed that she was only in one scene.

FUNNY LINES: None. This is a serious drama.

INTERESTING LINES:

"Everything has a price. What costs you is doubt." - cop "Kindness will affect the world and will help us find that common bond we are very much searching for." - Christian Baker (Johnny Whitworth) "God is good all the time." - Michael Watson (Maurice McRae) "We are not as separated as we think." - Christian Baker

You can see the rest of my review on my Movie Review Mom YouTube channel and website!