The twists and turns come thick and fast in I Will Find You, the latest gripping crime thriller from Harlan Coben and Netflix, following a father as he breaks from high-security prison after catching wind that his son — whom he was convicted of murdering — may be alive. This is a spoiler-free review.
We are now over a dozen Harlan Coben adaptations deep at Netflix, and it feels like they’re coming faster than ever. He is unequivocally regarded as the best suspense and thriller novelist out there, after all. The last adaptation was Run Away, which followed a desperate father, played by James Nesbitt, on an ardent quest to find his missing daughter, who had been absorbed into a cult. The latest, I Will Find You, plays on many of the same beats and heartstrings, but this time, the writers have set this one in the United States for the first time ever. In true Coben style, it contains plenty of mysteries, clues, and red herrings — in other words, yes, there’s absolutely a sense of Déjà vu. These shows are formulaic, but they’re also so gripping that we watch them anyway, the same way readers flock to buy the latest Coben novels that hit shelves. If it works, it works. We know what we’re buying into.
Created by Robert Hull (Quantum Leap, Alcatraz) and produced by Coben, Bryan Wynbrandt (Quantum Leap), Steven Lilien (Quantum Leap), and John Weber, I Will Find You follows father David Burroughs, played by Sam Worthington, a tough-guy, yet tormented and emotionally vulnerable. We first meet Burroughs five years after he was convicted of murdering his three-year-old son, Matthew, in their family home in the middle of the night. He now spends his time serving a life sentence in Briggs Penitentiary in Maine, quietly maintaining his innocence, but damning himself for still not being able to save his son from the mysterious criminal who he believes took his life. His ex-wife Cheryl (Erin Richards) has since re-married and is pregnant herself.
A model inmate who takes no calls, David’s prison stability is suddenly thrown into doubt when he gets a visit from his ex-sister-in-law, Rachel (Britt Lower), a fired (but fired-up) journalist, who shows him a recently taken photograph of a child who uncannily resembles his son — complete with a birthmark — proving that he might just be alive. While this could be seen as a case for Rachel’s journalistic instincts, she’s, of course, got a personal connection to it. The photograph is all the tipoff David needs to throw caution to the wind and embark on a quest to find his missing son. But of course, stuck in a prison, beginning such an investigation is far from easy. Naturally, the prison scenes are rife with cliches — there’s a scuffle with inmates, a car crashing through fences, and so on. Such moments are crucial and rooted in introducing us to David’s character and personality, so we’ll forgive the glut of prison movie cliches.
Rounding out the cast and assisting — or hindering — David Burroughs on his quest is Britt Lower’s Rachel Mills, one of his closest allies who fights in his corner. But after his prison break, he clashes with FBI agents (and father-daughter duo) Max Williams (played by Chi McBride) and Sarah Greer (played by Logan Browning). Those two were a highlight of the series, expanding the emotional pulse outside of David’s circle and into the police department. It serves as a powerful counter-narrative.
In addition, while screen time wasn’t on his side, it was a delight seeing Clancy Brown back on our screens as villain (though not overarching baddie) Nicky Fisher, the head of a Boston-based crime syndicate. Not many can play a villain with quite as much vigor.
Much like Run Away before it, the plot of I Will Find You relies on David Burroughs following instinct, trails and breadcrumbs of clues that may lead to his son. However, unlike Simon Greene in Run Away, this series elevates the stakes even higher. He must pursue his quest despite the looming presence of the police force as they seek him out. There’s nowhere for him to run, especially when he case sparks national interest. This police search keeps the series gripping from the minute he breaks out of prison; once he’s out, he must keep on the move and never stop. The show uses this to its advantage, never lingering.
There’s rarely a dull moment, but the game of cat-and-mouse occasionally borders on farcical. There’s one too many plot conveniences; for instance, there’s a moment when FBI agent Sarah risks her life to chase David over buildings, jumping between them. When she has David cornered, he takes a leap of faith, landing softly atop a conveniently placed moving truck. One or even two of these moments are fun, but when similar instances occur across eight episodes, it does become a little too unbelievable. On the whole, there are moments of true shock, and they do land at surprising times, throwing more twists into an ever-evolving plot.
Caption/Description: I Will Find You. Sam Worthington as David Burroughs in Episode #102 of I Will Find You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
Those well-acquainted with Coben dramas will be more than satisfied with the myriad jigsaw pieces at play — this is a twisty mystery worth solving. But it’s an emotional journey as well as a convoluted mystery. Of course, we have David Burroughs at the centre. We feel the love he has for his son. But also, the show explores the multi-generational father-son dynamic, exploring both David’s relationship with his father, Lenny. After he escapes prison after 5 years of ignorance, David learns that his father is on his deathbed. The relationship between them is particularly strong and helps keep David grounded amid the chaos of the prison escape.
All 8 episodes are well-paced and exhilarating. Each episode ends with a twist, whether a key clue in the case or our protagonist being left in seemingly inescapable situations. The cliff-hangers and twists mostly land well and resolutions are always earned and satisfying. There’s near misses, sudden shocks, and fast shifts in pacing — all things Coben is known for.
MVP
Sam Worthington — This role of David Burroughs is challenging enough for Worthington, and he plays the desperate father brilliantly, with grit and plenty of menace. He’s played similar roles before, notably in Fractured (2019) and Transfusion (2023) — such a body of work and experience made him a no-brainer to portray David Burroughs.
I must also give a special mention to Logan Browning as Sarah Greer, who’s also a standout.
Verdict
Harlan Coben’s dramas follow a formula. This one is no different. Looking back, it’s quite easy to piece the plot together. I watched large sections of it back after my first viewing, and it struck me that it’s not a show that holds up nearly as well on second viewing. You watch it for the rollercoaster experience, and it absolutely delivers on those thrills. But of course, the more times you ride that rollercoaster, the less you’re going to wave your hands in the air and scream.
I Will Find You feels a little too close to its predecessors, but through fantastic performances, excellent action, and a gripping mystery, it is undeniably one of the best showings of the formula.
