Santoshi Harda (Jirô Satô) has fallen into a deep depression, and along with that depression has come debt and struggle like he’s never before seen. However, he believes that he’s found a way to remedy his financial issues: track down a serial killer, bring him to justice, and receive a monetary reward. Before he can do this he goes missing, and it’s now up to his young daughter, Kaede (Aoi Itô) to find her father. Every turned corner will present her with difficulties, and some of the things she learns while her father is Missing will be heartbreaking. She has what it takes to solve this mystery, but her journey will define who and what she is going forward.
Missing is incredibly depressing. From the opening moments of the film, as Kaede runs down the street, there’s a sense of discomfort and struggle present. Viewers know that something horrible is coming in the near future, and as Missing eases forward that becomes more and more obvious. As a series of terrible events plays out throughout the course of the film, everything that viewers anticipated would happen in regard to the tone and the overall feel of the film come to be. This is a harrowing journey that many will struggle with, but I believe that the emotional relevance (even in the wildest situations) manage to reach viewers appropriately. Missing is a film that refuses to relent in terms of emotion, never giving viewers a chance to settle or to get over the harrowing details of Santoshi and Kaede’s story–and it works wonderfully, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats throughout without fail.
It seems that the story gets wilder and wilder as it progresses, and the writing brilliantly continues to get better with those intensifying situations. Just when you think things can’t get any crazier, Missing turns a corner and does what no one would have thought to be possible. With the constantly further-reaching pieces of the narrative present throughout the film, it gets to a point when viewers may begin to question the plausibility of it all–but the acting allows viewers to suspend their disbelief and feed into the emotional aspect of the film. These actors never find themselves in simple situations, and they are constantly tasked with having to outdo themselves as Missing progresses. Emotions at the start of the film are relatively simple. Grief, sadness, etc. fill the screen, and everyone does a wonderful job of conveying said emotions. However, as the film progresses, the emotions become more powerful, the scenarios significant–and, again, these actors convey emotion with poise and energy.
In the best way possible, Missing is disgusting. The things drawn up by Shinzô Katayama, Kazuhisa Kotera, and Ryô Takada, and depicted on screen are disturbing. It’s not just disturbing to see those things on screen, but alarming to think that someone was capable of coming up with these things. While it does make viewers think this way, it’s also incredible to think of the creativity that each of these writers possess. The creativity present throughout Missing is as good as anything that I’ve seen before, and it’s the most impressive aspect of the entire film.
Missing is simply a wild ride that will make each and every one of its viewers uncomfortable at one point or another. The insanity that exists throughout the course of the film also works to constantly intrigue viewers in new ways, always introducing new content and providing new ways of appealing to viewers. No one could have ever guessed the road that Missing would travel down, and the constant twists and turns work so well for the film. This is one of the most intense journeys that I’ve ever taken through film, and it’s worth every minute.
Directed by Shinzô Katayama.
Written by Shinzô Katayama, Kazuhisa Kotera, & Ryô Takada.
Starring Jirô Satô, Aoi Itô, Hiroya Shimizu, Misato Morita, Shotaro Ishii, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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