A determined 9-year-old, a smash detective show

 Hilde Lysiak scooped her rivals in 2016 with a story about a local murder, publishing it in the Orange Street News, her own newspaper.

She was only nine years old.

Now you can watch a fictionalized version of Lysiak played by the amazing child actor Brooklynn Prince in the web TV series Home Before Dark.

The real-life Lysiak provides not just a factual basis for the fictional character Hilde Lisko. More importantly, the core emotional truths about her and her family are what propel the series.

Hilde’s father, played by Jim Sturgess, is a reporter who acts as a role model and mentors her in journalistic ethics.

The relationship between the two of them, inspired by the real Hilde and her father, is immensely satisfying to behold.

In Home Before Dark, Hilde’s newspaper and website is called The Magic Hour Chronicle. The way her parents support her, talking to her and recognizing her full dignity as a human person, is marvelous to watch. 

Season One of the series begins with Hilde’s investigation of a woman’s death, which then opens up a wider mystery of a young boy’s disappearance.

The inventiveness of this fictional mystery, added onto the story of the real Hilde, unfolds with expert suspense. Viewers who like detective stories will find themselves totally engaged.

The series blends together a nice range of literary and dramatic influences. Mystery fans will recognize elements taken out of everything from Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars to E.T. and To Kill a Mockingbird.

In particular, To Kill a Mockingbird is consciously evoked as Hilde’s father frequently addresses Hilde by his nickname for her: “Scout.” 

As with Harper Lee’s classic novel, Home Before Dark skillfully portrays the peril of minorities in America, with especially moving performances by Michael Greyeyes (as Sam Gillis) and Aziza Scott (as Deputy “Trip” Johnson).

But it is Brooklynn Prince’s performance as Hilde that is most astonishing. She is not merely a gifted child actor, but simply one of the most talented actors you will ever witness on screen.

In addition, the surrounding cast members elevate the entire production to the highest level of dramatic art. Hilde’s mother, played by Abby Miller, is particularly noteworthy for her strength of character.

She and Hilde’s two sisters complement the central father-daughter story in an integral way. No actor ever steals a scene from another.

Because each cast member thus rises so strongly to meet Prince’s own acting ability, the show transcends its limited genre task of setting up and solving a crime story.

Instead, the viewer delights in dwelling amidst the various interactions between family members. 

Home Before Dark thus provides family-friendly viewing of the best sort. By anchoring its narrative in the family dynamics, the mystery story becomes an occasion for exploring deeper issues.

In the 10 episodes making up the first season of Home Before Dark, what was buried in the town’s past is progressively unveiled, thanks to Hilde’s persistent investigations. 

We witness the effect of a past trauma on young people and how it haunts them for the rest of their lives. It shapes their relationships with others, even as adults.

The key instance is found in Hilde’s father, who still carries the trauma of what happened to him and to his boyhood friend.

Interestingly, the show does not focus only on trauma’s psychological impact on one person. Instead, we see how a whole community is affected by the hidden memory of the past. 

Many parent-child relationships are shown coloured by the buried mystery. The drama thereby effectively shows how everybody is connected to everyone else in ways they may fail to appreciate.

Hilde becomes the main protagonist in this deeper psychological drama because of her unwavering commitment to truth.

“You asked who cares about the truth,” she professes early on. “I do. Because if the truth doesn’t matter, nothing ever will.”

Hilde also reiterates the main theme near the end of the season. “The truth is what makes everything else work,” she says.

A corrupt old sheriff dismisses Hilde’s passionate commitment to truth. “Isn’t that adorable,” he sneers, damning her with supercilious praise.

Similarly, many people may dismiss Home Before Dark because of the prominent role it gives to a precocious child actor.

But as Jesus said, “Believe me, unless you become like little children again, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3)

Hilde’s commitment to truth and transparency helps us better understand what this means. Christ’s endorsement is of the noble simplicity and candidness of a child.

Home Before Dark streams on Apple TV+.