I’m republishing this post today, since I first saw “Missing” waaaaay back at the start of February as a very early #cineworldunlimited preview. It is out in UK cinemas today, and is WELL worth your attention. A clever and well-crafted film.
A One Mann’s Movies review of “Missing” (2023).
I really loved the film “Searching” with John Cho. So much so that I made it my No. 6 choice in my “Films of the Year” from 2018! It was a truly novel creation: every scene was seen through an electronic screen of some sort. But it was not just gimmicky… it had a decent story and a lot of heart too. Now, 5 years later, the same production team (and story-writer) have put together “Missing” in similar vein, . And a great job they have done too.
Note: I saw this as a Cineworld Unlimited preview, and the film will be released in the UK on February 24th 2023.
Bob the Movie Man Rating(s):
Plot Summary:
June (Storm Reid) is a teen about to head off to college. Her widowed mum Grace (Nia Long) and new partner Kevin (Ken Leung) are off on a holiday to Colombia. But when the pair go missing and the FBI’s Colombia branch seem powerless to help, June takes the investigation into her own hands.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC: “Strong threat, violence, domestic abuse”).
Talent:
Starring: Storm Reid, Nia Long, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Megan Suri, Joaquim de Almeida.
Directed by: Nicholas D. Johnson & Will Merrick.
Written by: Will Merrick & Nicholas D. Johnson, from a story by Sev Ohanian.
Twitter Handles: #SearchingMovie; #missingmovie.
June (Storm Reid) looks for clues with the helpful Javi (Joaquim de Almeida). (Source: Stage 6 Films).
“Missing” Review:
Positives:
- The script is whip-smart in dropping in some genuinely intriguing and gasp-inducing twists and turns that I for one did NOT see coming! “Searching” positioned the father as the main character looking for the teenage daughter. The clever switch to having the teenage daughter looking for the parent is very clever and works well. There’s a air of “Nancy Drew Investigates” about it.
- Given that this was the feature debut for writer/directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson, they have really done a pretty phenomenal job with this. If there was an Oscar for “Outstanding Debut” (like there is for the BAFTAs) then I think this would most definitely be a candidate. The film crackles along at a good lick and sensibly keeps to a sub-2 hour running time to maintain the interest throughout.
- The film lives or dies by the performance of the teen daughter, and Storm Reid is really exceptional in the role. Confident, self-assured and believable. She previously led Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time” (which I still haven’t seen) but more recently was in “The Suicide Squad” and “The Invisible Man“. A young lady to watch for the future.
- Also fun in a supporting role is Joaquim de Almeida as a friendly Colombian electrician (I’m not making this up!). Those of us of a certain age can’t see him without thinking of his most famous role at Felix Cortez in “Clear and Present Danger” (“Pick up the phone Moira!”). Ken Leung (the dead-whispering Miles Straume from “Lost”) also supports well.
- Although lacking the novelty of the first film, “Missing” keeps up to date with technology by introducing new forms of screens that were not mainstream in 2018. Video doorbells are now in. So is TikTok, with June filming herself waiting for her mother at the airport with a “Welcome home from Prison Mum” sign!
- An enormous amount of thought has gone into the detail included in every shot. Given June’s cluttered desktop, there is a HUGE amount of information on the screen. Your eyes darts about, picking up not only clues related to the story but also a lot of background information about June and her journey towards college. This alone makes this a REALLY good film to go and see on the big screen at the cinema.
Negatives:
- “Searching” was truly unique, and you can’t pull the same trick twice and get points for originality.
- As with “Searching“, the end was a little too overblown and histrionic for my tastes. (But I’ll grant you that a final means of salvation for June is cleverly done!)
Summary Thoughts on “Missing”
This is another of those “B-Movies” that comes as a really nice surprise. Clever, well-paced and with multiple cunning twists, I can see this thriller being a solid-gold hit with audiences.
Very much recommended.
Trailer for “Missing”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seBixtcx19E . I think the FIRST 90 SECONDS of this trailer are really great, but then it gets WAY TOO SPOILERISH. If you want to see this film fresh, then DON’T watch the whole trailer!
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