Paramount+ has added a new British thriller to its lineup, and it’s tailor‑made for viewers who love dark, emotionally charged mysteries. Girl Taken, a six‑episode mini‑series adapted from Hollie Overton’s novel Baby Doll, began streaming on the platform on January 8, 2026. Blending a missing‑girl story with a tense portrait of a small town under pressure, the show leans more into psychological suspense than jump scares — and it’s designed to be devoured in a single weekend.
At a Glance: What to Know Before Watching Girl Taken on Paramount+
If you’re deciding what to queue up next, here are the key facts about the series in one place:
| Title | Girl Taken |
| Streaming platform | Paramount+ |
| Available since | January 8, 2026 |
| Format | Limited series / mini‑series |
| Number of episodes | 6 |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
The Story Behind Girl Taken: A Twin Vanishes, Then Comes Home
The series is set in a seemingly quiet English town where one family’s nightmare becomes the community’s defining trauma. Teenage twin sisters grow up side by side until, without warning, one of them disappears. Investigators circle through dead ends, the trail goes cold, and the case slowly slips into the realm of unresolved tragedies.
The fallout is devastating. The remaining twin is forced to build an identity around an absence no one can fully explain. Her parents fracture under grief and unanswered questions. The town, meanwhile, chooses survival over truth, constructing its own comforting narratives about what might have happened.
Years go by — and then the impossible happens: the missing girl returns.
Her sudden reappearance detonates every story the town has been telling itself. Old wounds rip open, long‑buried secrets surface, and that once‑tight community proves far more complicated and compromised than outsiders ever saw. At the center of the renewed suspicion stands a respected local teacher, a pillar of the town whose potential involvement can no longer be easily dismissed.
Watch the Trailer for Girl Taken on Paramount+
Get a feel for the show’s tone, pacing, and visual style with the official trailer:
The trailer hints at the show’s preference for slow‑burn dread, character‑driven twists, and emotional stakes over graphic violence.
From Page to Screen: Adapting Hollie Overton’s Baby Doll
Girl Taken is not an original screenplay; it’s a reimagining of Baby Doll, the suspense novel by Hollie Overton. Instead of simply recreating every plot beat, the creative team reshapes the material for television, emphasizing how trauma lingers over years and how secrets infect an entire town.
The adaptation is handled by writers David Turpin, Suzanne Cowie, and Nessa Muthy, who steer the narrative away from pure crime‑procedural territory. Their scripts prioritize shifting loyalties, conflicting memories, and the moral gray zones that emerge once the missing twin walks back into her old life. Rather than relying on shock value, the show focuses on the emotional and psychological cost of surviving the unimaginable.
Direction duties are split between Laura Way and Bindu de Stoppani. Their approach keeps the camera close to the characters, often favoring intimate, tense scenes over large‑scale set pieces. The result is a series that feels grounded and personal, even as it builds the kind of escalating tension thriller fans expect.
Cast Breakdown: Who’s Who in Girl Taken
One of the show’s biggest draws is its ensemble, led by familiar faces from British television and prestige drama.
Lead Performances
- Jill Halfpenny – Takes on one of the central adult roles, bringing a layered mix of resilience, guilt, and anger to a character who has been living with loss for years.
- Alfie Allen – Best known to many U.S. viewers from Game of Thrones, he anchors the series with a performance that oscillates between sympathetic and unsettling as the story unfolds.
The Twins at the Heart of the Story
The emotional core of Girl Taken belongs to the twins, played by real‑life sisters Tallulah Evans and Delphi Evans. Their dynamic sells both the before and after of the disappearance: the easy intimacy of their early bond and the almost uncanny distance that follows the missing sister’s return. Much of the show’s power comes from how they embody trauma, survival, and the question of who gets to tell the story of what happened.
Supporting Cast
Rounding out the ensemble are several key players who deepen the mystery and shadowy history of the town:
- Vikash Bhai
- Niamh Walsh
- Levi Brown
Each contributes to the show’s web of competing perspectives — neighbors, friends, and authority figures who may be protecting the truth or hiding from it.
Why Girl Taken Stands Out in the Current Thriller Landscape
Streaming is crowded with mysteries and true‑crime‑inspired dramas, so what makes Girl Taken worth your time?
- Tight, six‑episode format: With no filler episodes, the narrative moves with purpose. It’s ideal for viewers who want a complete, high‑stakes story without committing to multiple seasons.
- Psychological focus over procedural detail: Instead of digging into forensic minutiae, the series zooms in on how a disappearance reshapes a family and a community over years.
- A community built on stories: One of the most intriguing themes is how the town collectively invents explanations to keep functioning — and what happens when those stories are challenged by the girl’s return.
- Complex moral terrain: Almost every character is forced to confront what they chose not to see or refused to question. The show is less about a simple villain and more about systemic silence.
For U.S. audiences who appreciated dark British series like Broadchurch or The Missing, Girl Taken offers a similar mix of emotional depth and slow‑burn tension, with a strong focus on the long‑term impact of crime rather than just the crime itself.
Is Girl Taken Available on Paramount+ in the U.S. and France?
The series is part of the Paramount+ catalog and launched on January 8, 2026. In France, it is confirmed to be available on Paramount+ as of that date. Availability in other regions, including the United States, may vary depending on local licensing agreements, but it is positioned as a Paramount+ original for the platform’s international slate. Viewers in the U.S. should check their local Paramount+ interface or the service’s help pages to confirm access in their region.
Episode Count and Binge Potential
Girl Taken is structured as a six‑episode limited series. There are no extra seasons to chase, no mid‑series cliffhangers that leave you hanging for years — just one contained story designed to deliver a full emotional and narrative arc in a compact format.
That makes it especially appealing if you’re looking for:
- A weekend binge that actually reaches a conclusion
- A break from multi‑season procedurals
- A thriller you can watch and discuss without a huge time investment
Should Girl Taken Be Your Next Watch on Paramount+?
Consider adding Girl Taken to your Paramount+ list if you:
- Enjoy British crime and mystery dramas with a strong emotional through‑line
- Prefer character‑driven thrillers over heavily stylized, action‑heavy shows
- Are drawn to stories about how communities handle (or bury) trauma
- Want a limited, six‑episode commitment with a clear beginning and end
If you’re specifically looking for a short, intense mini‑series that explores the ripple effects of a teen’s disappearance and the lies a town tells itself to stay intact, Girl Taken is ready to stream now on Paramount+.
FAQ
Is Girl Taken streaming on Paramount+ in France?
Yes. Girl Taken is available on Paramount+ in France starting January 8, 2026. French subscribers can watch all six episodes on the platform.
How many episodes are there in Girl Taken?
The series is a six‑episode mini‑series. It’s designed as a self‑contained story, so you can watch the entire narrative arc without waiting for additional seasons.
Is Girl Taken based on a book?
Yes. Girl Taken is adapted from the thriller novel Baby Doll by Hollie Overton. The show reworks the material for television, emphasizing psychological tension and the long‑term impact of the central crime.
What kind of thriller is Girl Taken — more crime procedural or psychological drama?
Girl Taken leans firmly toward psychological drama. While the disappearance and investigation are crucial to the plot, the series is primarily interested in the emotional aftermath, the fractured family relationships, and the way an entire town constructs and protects its own version of the truth.
