Apple TV’s Last Seen works better as a family saga than a crime thriller

Apple TV's Last Seen explores the tragic loss of a young girl through the eyes of her former police officer father, Ian Ridley. Ian has been obsessed with finding his missing daughter, Maggie, for over a decade, which has led him down a dangerous path. The series, based on Ryan David Jahn's novel, is set in a fictional Australian coastal town called Port McKenna and features Australian accents.

Ian, now an alcoholic, receives a distressing call from a phone booth, believing it to be his daughter's presumed-dead 14-year-old self. This leads him to a young girl named Sarah, who seems to fit the description, but is actually the naive child of an overly religious family. The six-episode run of the show allows it to move quickly and answer questions about Sarah's true identity, though it sacrifices some suspense in the process.

Despite the formulaic narrative beats and predictable twists, Patrick Brammall delivers a powerful performance as Ian, portraying the emotional toll of his daughter's disappearance and the psychological effects on him and his ex-wife, Debbie. The series also delves into the strict religious upbringing of Sarah's parents, Henry and Jenna Reid, adding another layer to the story.

While Last Seen is not a particularly thrilling crime drama, it succeeds as a turbulent and insightful family saga. The show's young cast, particularly Chloe Jean Lourdes as Sarah, believably sells their complicated characters. However, the series has its flaws, such as the rushed coming-of-age for Sarah and some ridiculous choices made by the characters.

Overall, Last Seen is an attempt to explore the impact of a missing child's disappearance on a family, though it doesn't fully succeed in its attempts to delve into deeper themes like fanaticism and blind faith.