Synopsis: 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. Before long, her digital sleuthing leads her down a twisting rabbit hole of secrets and lies.
Be sure to tell the people that you care for that you love them. Life goes by so quickly and can be taken away even quicker, so the small gestures matter more than you think. The unspoken words, the lackadaisical hugs, the unanswered phone calls without a callback.
“I’ve already lost one parent, I can’t lose her too.”
What lengths would you go to save the person closest to you? Directed by Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick, Missing is a tense and turbulent techno-thriller tailor-made for today. Shot in the screenlife visual style where the entire story unfolds before our eyes through the screens of various devices, it feels as if you’ve hacked your way into a true fly-on-the-wall experience. The engulfing mystery will have you on the edge of your seat as its twists and turns will surprise and excite you. Like Searching and Profile, the film delivers us complex characters that we can grow with, care about, and ultimately root for as the drama unfolds. Its fast pace keeps you on your toes, constantly guessing, and gives it a reality-based experience that you don’t always get with other films in the thriller genre. As the story revolves around a broken family and a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship, emotions are high but the stakes are even higher. Once the texts turn from blue to green, you’re in for a wild ride.
“We can’t rule anything out.”
Technology is both an extremely beautiful and incredibly terrifying thing and the film dances with both sides of it equally. On one hand, you can instantly find and connect with friends and anyone around the world. On the flip side, anyone in the world can find and connect with you. And that’s exactly what makes the film so exhilarating, anything can happen. As clues are found and dots are connected, like beheading a hydra, more dots appear and more clues have to be found and the story becomes like going down a YouTube rabbit hole. Now, are there some rather convenient coincidences? Of course. But these things happen. And is the dialogue simplistic at times? Yes. However, our protagonist, June is supposed to be your average rebellious teenager who happens to be in complete panic therefore she actually speaks like one, so it doesn’t take away from the film at all. Her performance is strong and she carries the film with ease. The crux of the film revolves around love, sacrifice, and determination, and at the root of that is June and her mother. Moreover, as truths are revealed, every relationship is changed forever. Friendships are tested, bodies hit the floor, and internet culture is put on display. I did find the final twist a bit lacking and somewhat rushed, nonetheless, this film is a good time and one you’ll want to see with a crowd. You won’t leave disappointed. Its rewatchability is medium-high.
Pacing & Pop
The film’s pacing is one of its best attributes. It adds to the overall tension and urgency of the story. And it’s exactly what popped for me. Often a film is labeled a thriller and fails to live up to the genre it’s placed in, however, it’s not the case here. The seriousness and importance of the situation are palpable because of the pacing.
Characters & Chemistry
Starring: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Amy Landecker, Megan Suri, Daniel Henney, Nia Long
There are some strong performances throughout specifically by Storm Reid who leads the way as June and Joaquim de Almeida as the charming and helpful Javier. The chemistry feels genuine and effortless.
Missing releases in theaters on January 20, 2023. Remain safe and enjoy.
Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 1h 51m Directors: Will Merrick and Nick Johnson Writers: Will Merrick & Nick Johnson, Sev Ohanian & Aneesh Chaganty Producers: Natalie Qasabian, Sev Ohanian, and Aneesh Chaganty Executive Producers: Timur Bekmambetov, Adam Sidman, and Jo Henriquez Director of Photography: Steven Holleran
Missing is a tense and turbulent techno-thriller tailor-made for today.
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
