From the minds behind Searching comes Missing, a thrilling roller-coaster mystery that makes you wonder how well you know those closest to you. When her mother (Nia Long) disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June’s (Storm Reid) search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it’s too late. But as she digs deeper, her digital sleuthing raises more questions than answers…and when June unravels secrets about her mom, she discovers that she never really knew her at all.
For in-depth thoughts on Missing (2023), please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Missing (2023) debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio that captures the intended aesthetic of the film exceedingly well. The movie itself has a natural color palette that is pleasing throughout, and there is an excellent amount of detail and clarity. The video footage of the performers talking can be of a bit lower quality to match the aesthetic of a typical web call, but the material on other parts of the computer screen are crisp and clear. The movie does employ some deep black levels, but there is some apparent digital noise at points. Objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. There is no damage detectable in this transfer. There are not really any moments that are going to wow you, but this is an incredibly sleek and solid video presentation overall.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray arrives with a commendable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. With this taking place on various screens, there is obviously not going to be too much action going on but it does what it needs to do quite well. The low end of the track is not a standout in the slightest for this reason. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the music where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels are mostly used to subtly enhance the environment rather than be anything too forceful. There are no issues whatsoever with this track. Sony has done a fine job here. There are optional English, English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writers & Directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson and Producer Natalie Qasabian provide a commentary track in which they reflect on the excitement and challenges of making the film, finding the right actors, making sure they evolved from Searching, playing with audience expectations and more.
- Storm Reid and The Challenge of Missing: A nearly six-minute piece about the star of this feature in which the creative team discuss the unique attributes she brings to this character, what drew her to the project, the layers of the character she is playing, the challenges presented by the narrative and more.
- The Screens That Rule Our Lives: A five-minute exploration of the challenges of making this film feel cinematic while sticking to the format established. It is really cool to see how the filmmakers planned around certain challenges and championed innovation in many respects.
- Hunting For The Missing Easter Eggs: A nearly nine-minute examination of the many fun extras that the creative team sprinkled throughout the film. This is good for highlighting what you should pay attention to during round two.
- Misdirects, Online Crimes and The Social Media Mystery of Missing: A seven-minute look at how this film expanded from what was accomplished in Searching and what the filmmakers wove into the story to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
- Making A Frame Timelapse: A minute-long piece which shows an expedited look at how a frame of the movie is constructed out of nothing with various apps and pieces of technology.
- Deleted Scenes: Four scenes of unused material totaling nine minutes are provided here with introductions from Directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson.
- Previews: There are trailers provided for Don’t Breathe 2, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Invitation and 65.
Final Thoughts
Missing (2023) finds new ways to build upon the smashing success of Searching which provides a thrilling time all around. Storm Reid is a formidable presence as the bedrock of this story, showcasing the natural talent she has at a very young age. The home stretch of the film can struggle to bring everything together in a completely satisfying manner, but the experience is so riveting for the majority of the film that you can forgive some of the missteps. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports a solid A/V presentation and a nice array of supplements for those who do decide to check it out. If you appreciate the thrills that can be conjured by a screen-based narrative, you should have a lot of fun with this. Recommended
Missing (2023) will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on March 28, 2023. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
