We often get into arguments with our parents about college. College life can be tough at times. “Black Girl Missing” is a story about a girl who is fed up with her college life and wants to drop out. However, like any other parent, the girl’s mother reminded her about the money and hard work she put in to see her daughter go to college. Lauren Baker tells her mother that she is depressed, but Cheryl, her mother, does not take her daughter’s words seriously. Wondering what the movie is about? Let’s dig into the movie.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Black Girl Missing’ Film Plot
The movie revolves around three characters: Lauren Baker, Marley Baker, and Cheryl Baker. Lauren Baker is an 18-year-old college student who has a hard time at her college. Marley Baker is her younger sister, who is 15, and Cheryl Baker is their mother. One weekend, Lauren Baker comes home to visit her family from college, and they seem to have a good time until Cheryl asks her about college. Lauren tries to explain how she is depressed and wants to drop out of college. Cheryl and Lauren get into an argument about college, and Lauren decides to leave for college sooner than anticipated.
For a few days, Lauren did not return Cheryl’s calls or texts. At first, like any other parent, Cheryl thought her daughter was not returning calls because she was upset about the argument they had. However, Lauren was not returning her sister’s texts or calls either. It was alarming and not how Lauren behaved. Marley gets concerned and tells Cheryl that Lauren has not been returning her calls either. Cheryl tries to call a few people. However, nobody had heard from Lauren in days. This concerns Cheryl, and she decides to visit Lauren’s college. She goes to her room on the college campus, but her roommate hasn’t heard from her in days.
Cheryl calls the police, and the detectives tell her that Lauren has left the college campus with her phone and laptop. To the police, it seemed like Lauren had left voluntarily. The police called her a runaway, and the case went cold. The police even stopped returning Cheryl’s calls and were completely ignoring her. Cheryl then turns to the local news reporters for help. However, the news channels were too busy focusing on a missing white girl. The entire nation was only talking about Jessica, who was missing. The movie keeps on telling its audience about the racial discrimination happening in the U.S. People were only interested in knowing about the whereabouts of a white girl, whereas a black girl missing got no media coverage. Even though the movie is not based on a true story, it is based on true events that take place in society.
Cheryl and her younger daughter, Marley, decide to find Lauren themselves. Marley tries to get help from an internet organization called “The Net Sleuths.” This organization consists of amateur detectives who help people in need. Marley finds Bella, who helps the family gain access to Lauren’s social media accounts. From there, Cheryl finds out that Lauren is being cyberbullied by her roommate. Cheryl goes to the police with this information; however, they are still not bothered to help her. Cheryl tries to find out more about Lauren’s life and finds out about a boy she is talking to. Lauren had been talking to a boy named Ian Turner and had developed a connection with him.
Marley and Bella find out more about Ian and get to know that he is a catfish who fools people into believing he is the person in the pictures when he is not. Marley decides to make a profile on the dating website where Ian Turner catfishes people and matches them with him.
‘Black Girl Missing’ Ending Explained – Was Lauren Baker Found Alive?
Marley starts talking to Ian Turner online and asks him where he lives. When Cheryl finds out that her younger daughter is putting her life in jeopardy, she gets upset. However, after Ian Turner responds to Marley, she decides to set a date and confront Ian. Cheryl goes to the decided location and finds out that Ian, the catfish, was using a stolen car’s license plate. She asks Marley to call the cops and decides to follow Ian’s car. She reaches his place and looks around the property. Soon, she finds Lauren tied up. She manages to save her daughter, and the cops show up just in time. They arrest Ian, and he gets sentenced to a lifetime in prison.
In the end, Cheryl does an interview in which she shares her experience and what her daughter went through while she was kidnapped. She also informs the public how Ian was responsible for the disappearance of six other black girls. She also shares details about other black women who have been missing for years but are not given enough attention by the media.
Final Words
The issue of black women going missing is a serious and ongoing concern. Black women are disproportionately affected by missing person cases and often receive fewer media coverage and public attention compared to other missing persons. This is a particularly alarming issue given the historical and systemic marginalization and violence against black women in many societies. It is important to recognize and address the root causes of why black women are more likely to go missing, such as poverty, racism, sexism, and violence. Additionally, efforts should be made to improve the way these cases are investigated and publicized in order to ensure that black women and their families receive the same level of support and attention as others who go missing. “Black Girl Missing” is a movie that sheds light on this important issue and is a good step towards spreading awareness on this major issue.