Welcome to Knockout Horror and to another horror movie review. Before I get started, I need to ask a quick question. Has anybody else fired up Prime Video and flicked through their movies, only to stumble across a horror/thriller called Daughter in Disguise from 2023? 

Imagine my surprise when I come to find out that it is more commonly known as Sinister Switch and actually came out in 2021. I feel as though Prime Video does this a lot. Throwing movies into their library and changing the dates around a bit. Anyways, today we will be reviewing Daughter in Disguise, or, as it is more commonly known, Sinister Switch, from 2021.

I guess this might be one of those weird naming quirks we seem to have here in the UK. I’m not really sure and it doesn’t help that its working title was “Not My Child”. With all of that being said, if you found your way to this review. You probably saw the movie on Prime and wanted to know what it was like. Let’s take a look.

Ending Explained

This review kind of blew up today and that usually means one thing. Sinister Switch has appeared on a streaming service somewhere and people are looking for answers. 

Well, you can find them right here in our Sinister Switch (Daughter in Disguise) Ending Explained article. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, keep reading this spoiler free review and come back to the ending explained at a later date as it is, obviously, not spoiler free.

Missing Child Drama

Daughter in Disguise follows the story of parents, Kristen (Emily Alatalo) and Justin (Steve Belford). As they are finally reunited with their daughter, Olivia (Natalie Jane), who went missing 6 years ago. Delighted to have Olivia back. Kristen and Justin begin the long process of adapting to life as parents of a teenage girl. Despite their joy, they can’t help but notice that something seems different. Could it be simple changes from the time they spent apart or is there a more sinister explanation? 

The bulk of the story here follows Kristen and Justin as they relearn how to be parents. Kristen feels, almost, awkward while attempting to relate to Olivia while Justin is instantly suspicious. Olivia seems different and is acting rather strange. Her memories of her childhood seem vague and she is distant. Something is not quite right but Kristen doesn’t want to admit it.

Interesting but Very Slow Moving

I suppose the best way to describe Daughter in Disguise is as a Wednesday afternoon, daytime television movie version of Orphan but with a rather significant twist. If you took the blood and gore completely out of Orphan and replaced it with a mid-afternoon mimosa and a 40 minute nap that you describe to everyone around you as you “resting your eyes”. You would be halfway there.

There is a fairly deep dive here into the natural feelings and emotions surrounding the return of a missing child. Daughter in Disguise does a good job of relating some of the insecurities and guilt that a parent would have when confronted with this scenario. And also goes into some degree of detail on how a child in this situation may feel. Returning to a household and family that is very different from the one they were taken away from years before. 

It is all pretty well done and fairly authentic. With Kristen’s difficulties, and awkwardness, with Olivia feeling organic. The way their relationship begins to develop is believable and, for the most part, pretty interesting. Suffice to say, much of the earlier stages of the movie are extremely slow moving.

It is packed with familial drama and teen angst that hampers the pacing of the movie, somewhat. It’s difficult to not wonder when things are going to start moving. The movie is very content to play out like a Lifetime drama for much of its length. Meaning when the plot really begins to open up. It can all feel a bit rushed, a bit forced and slightly underdeveloped. It doesn’t help that it is entirely predictable, as well. Almost never managing to surprise the viewer and projecting its plot points way in advance.

Far More of a Drama Heavy Thriller

Daughter in Disguise is, really, far more of a thriller than a horror. It appears in Prime’s horror section and comes up recommended as a horror movie. But there isn’t a tremendous amount in the way of scares. That’s not to say that the movie won’t appeal to horror fans, though. There is a lot of cross over between thrillers and horrors. There is some decent tension towards the end of the movie. And there are a few moments, during the middle, that hint at some possible suspense.

I can’t shake the feeling, however, that the movie just didn’t know what it wanted to be. It gets very tied up in its drama elements and forgets that it is supposed to be suspenseful. Something which will likely lead some people to feel like the movie is poorly targeted. It’s something of a shame because the reality of Daughter in Disguise is an all too real one. The events portrayed in this movie have happened in real life. Making it feel like a lot of thriller meat was left on the bone here. Movies like Orphan manage to extract a ton of scares out of a similar formula. But this is a movie that doesn’t do things in the same way. The drama element comes before everything. It’s a bit underwhelming, to be honest.

Really Silly In Parts

It’s impossible not to point out some of the farcical leaps of logic that this movie forces the viewer to take. The entire situation, here, raises a lot of questions. Many of which you will find yourself asking time and time again. In fact, I would go as far as to say this movie requires more suspension of disbelief than most fantasy movies. With some of the things that happen making virtually no sense at all.

It’s when the movie attempts to aim for some genuine tension and suspense that it really falls apart. The last 15 minutes ramp up the thrills considerably. But, to do that, they demand that the characters act in ways that are completely without sense or logic. It’s a bit frustrating and will likely have you cursing at your TV.

This wouldn’t be such a problem if you hadn’t already been questioning nearly everything for the first hour or so of the movie. But, when you have, it feels like the ending is just another stretch too far. Daughter in Disguise is really tied up by its PG rating, as well. Meaning there are only so many directions the thrills and scares can go in. It ends up being a little bit self limiting. 

Acting is Fine

Acting is about what you would expect from a made for TV movie. It’s a bit hokey in parts and the dialogue is, frequently, pretty damn awful. Making character conversations feel rather inorganic and a bit forced. Emily Alatalo, as Kristen, has some real high points. She is very good when it comes to more emotional scenes but a bit flat in others. She has a tendency to resort to smiling too much when a scene doesn’t require a certain emotion. Steve Belford, as Justin, is pretty even throughout and does a good job.

Natalie Jane, as Olivia, does a nice job, for the most part. Feeling very genuine when reflecting her character’s troubled past and doing a good job of showing a decent range of emotion. I’m not sure anyone would buy that she is supposed to be 15 or 16, though. I am guessing she is well into her twenties. Adrian Falconer has a short role later on in the movie and it is beyond bad. He manages to be more wooden than the logs piled up all around him.

Cinematography is okay. There is still that trademark Lifetime movie style cheapness to everything. Making the movie feel a bit low budget and lacking in polish but it is generally fine. This movie was, obviously, filmed during winter in Ottawa, Canada so every scene is bathed in snow. Something which I actually really liked. It makes for a nice aesthetic. 

Should You Watch Daughter in Disguise?

Daughter in Disguise is a very drama heavy thriller that is, actually, worth a watch. It’s not going to blow you away and is very much lacking in suspense and tension. But, for a made for TV movie, it isn’t too bad. There are a lot of tremendous leaps of logic and the ending is a bit farcical. It remains predictable and obvious throughout. But there is also a pretty interesting story at the heart of the movie. Making it a pretty easy option to watch on a lazy afternoon.