Hulu is venturing into the world of online fame and parental anxieties with its new French import, The Disappearance of Kimmy Diore. Based on Delphine de Vigan’s novel Kids Run the Show, this six-episode limited series drops us into the unsettling aftermath of a very public kidnapping.
Six-year-old Kimmy Diore, a YouTube star with millions of followers, vanishes in broad daylight, leaving investigators and her online fanbase scrambling for answers. The series premieres today Wednesday October 23rd, on Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally.
Leading the official investigation is Brigade Chief Sara Roussel (Géraldine Nakache), who finds herself navigating the unfamiliar terrain of social media influencers and online sleuthing. For Roussel, it’s a crash course in the bizarre world of YouTube celebrity, where a child’s life is lived under the constant scrutiny of a digital audience. As Kimmy’s followers spin their own web of theories and accusations, Roussel tries to maintain a focus on the facts, which proves increasingly difficult as the case progresses.
The series also focuses on Kimmy’s mother, Mélanie (Doria Tillier), whose relationship with Roussel becomes a central element of the narrative. As Mélanie confides in Roussel, sharing secrets about her life and those around her, the lines between witness and suspect begin to blur.
The Disappearance of Kimmy Diore raises some timely questions about the nature of childhood fame in the digital age and the potential consequences of living life in the public eye.