Girl in the Video: Where Was Lifetime’s Thriller Filmed? Who is in the Cast?

Directed by Neil Rawles, ‘Girl in the Video’ tells a harrowing tale of a young girl’s kidnapping based on real events. Mo is a widowed mother managing the challenging task of raising two teens. Despite Mo’s warnings, her daughter, Krissy, insists on going to a party with a new group of friends. Krissy has actually been talking to an online friend named Toby, who appears to be a good-looking high school senior. When she goes to meet him at a secluded location, a masked man emerges from the car and kidnaps her. When Mo begins searching for her with local detectives, an unsettling video surfaces on the dark web.

Her kidnapper is broadcasting her torture, with dark web denizens paying money to see it. Mo and the detectives must race against time to pursue leads and track down the abductor before it is too late. Part of Lifetime’s ‘Girl In’ franchise, the film serves as a cautionary tale that highlights the darker side of the internet with catfishing and the debauched nature of the dark web. The thriller follows Krissy from the safe environment of her suburban home and school, to a lonely forested area where she is abducted and confined in a dark room away from the city.

Girl in the Video Filming Location

‘Girl in the Video’ was filmed in the Norfolk County of East England in the UK. Principle photography began in mid-June 2023, before being wrapped up in a few weeks by June 30, 2023. Despite the dark content of the film, behind the scenes, the cast and crew were a happy close-knit team, with a cheerful work environment. Speaking about the chemistry on set in a social media post, actress Tia May Watts said, “We were all happy to be around each other for the project and working. There were so many smiles for something that is quite dark, that’s a nice thing as well; you don’t want to method act and get too in your head about it.” Let us take a closer look at the filming destination chosen to lens this production.

Norfolk, UK

A ceremonial county on the east coast of England, Norfolk became a captivating canvas for the filmmakers of ‘Girl in the Video’ to create their thrilling narrative. Bordering Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, Norfolk is most well known for its historic architecture and picturesque locales. This charming county, with its broad, quaint villages, and expansive coastline along the North Sea, served as a versatile setting to portray both the lighter and darker side of the film in a compelling fashion.

The county’s lush greenery and dense woodlands were used by the filmmakers as an atmospheric backdrop that evoked a sense of isolation, suspense, and fear. The dense forests, like Thetford Forest and Holt Country Park, with their towering trees and secluded pathways, offer an ideal setting for such scenes shrouded in mystery and danger. The 1999 thriller ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ featured the Norfolk forest in some of its scenes.

Girl in the Video Cast

The film’s central family is essayed by Cush Jumbo as Mo, Tia May Watts as Krissy, and Amaree Ali as Robbie Meyer. The talented Andrew Lee Potts puts on the villain act as Jack Sweeney, and Matthew Marsden contrasts him as Agent Ray Fry. Most of the actors involved in the production are British and put on American accents during takes. ‘Girl in the Video’ is Lifetime’s first movie made in collaboration with London-based ITN productions.

Cush Jumbo is a British actress most well known for starring in ‘Criminal Record,’ ‘The Good Fight,’ and ‘The Good Wife.’ Matthew Marsden is an actor who began his journey in the UK, rising to stardom with his role as Chris Collins in ‘Coronation Street.’ He gained further renown as a lead in ‘Helen of Troy,’ and ‘The Sun Sisters.’ You may recognize Andrew Lee Potts from his appearances in prominent productions such as ‘Primeval,’ ‘The Witcher,’ ‘The Crown,’ and ‘Band of Brothers.’

Supporting cast for the film includes Wendy Glenn as Lt. Audrey Brennan, Gráinne Good as Luna, Tia May Watts as Krissy, Amaree Ali as Robbie Meyer, Kristopher Bosch as Fred Weaver, Alicia Charles as Jennifer, and Jennifer Aries as Principal Higgins.