A playdate gone wrong sparks TV’s most disturbing parenting nightmare in 'All Her Fault'

While watching "All Her Fault" on M-Net, I was struck by a powerful sense of déjà vu. 

After trawling through my previous TV show critiques, I realised it bore a striking resemblance to Disney+’s five-part series, “The Stolen Girl”.

The story revolved around a missing child, leading into a broader conspiracy that went far beyond a simple kidnapping, all triggered by a past injustice.

“All Her Fault” is an eight-part series based on Andrea Mara’s 2021 novel of the same name.

The series opens with Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook) arriving at an address to collect her son Milo (Duke McCleod) from a playday with his new friend from school. 

There’s just one problem: Esther (Linda Cropper), the woman who lives at the address, knows nothing about it. 

At first, Marissa assumes that it was a simple miscommunication with the mom, Jenny Kaminski (Dakota Fanning), who is a marketing head, only to learn it’s far worse. The text message wasn’t from Jenny, and her son Milo was taken by someone else. 

Of course, it's every parent's worst nightmare. Marissa, who is a wealth manager, is wracked with guilt for not double-checking the contact details before agreeing to the playdate. Meanwhile, Peter, Marissa's husband (Jake Lacy), is consumed by anger and anxiety. 

Detectives Alcaras (Michael Peña) and Greco (Johnny Carr) are tasked with investigating Milo’s disappearance. However, other scenarios unfold behind the scenes, introducing various red herrings that complicate the case.

On the one hand, there’s Peter’s frequent disappearances and suspicious behaviour. Then there’s Jenny's teacher husband, Richie (Thomas Cocquerel), who cautions her against becoming too involved in the Irvine family's difficult situation.  

He worries that Jenny's feelings about something being off with their missing nanny, Carrie Finch (also known as Josephine "Josie" Murphy, played by Sophia Lillis), might come back to bite them.

Peter's siblings bring their own spiralling drama: Lia (Abby Elliott) is a recovering drug addict, and Brian (Daniel Monks), a trader who works for Peter, has a disability.

Marissa appreciates the support she receives from her best friend and business partner, Colin Dobbs (Jay Ellis), as well as from Jenny. However, Colin is not as trustworthy as he seems.

There’s also a new lead with Esther identifying the man spotted with Carrie as Kyle Smit (Dominic Masterson), her former foster son.

A horrific truth is concealed amid a complicated web of intrigue where lines are crossed, and cover-ups take root. 

Minkie Spiro and Kate Dennis deliver taut direction, sustaining a cliffhanger element that keeps the audience on tenterhooks. The phenomenal casting sees each character successfully evoke a wide gamut of emotions.

There are still a few more episodes to go, but you can catch all the available ones on Catch Up. 

∎ “All Her Fault” airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Thursdays at 9pm.

Rating: **** a standout series with exceptional qualities.