In this unrelated sequel to the 2018 film Searching, Missing takes viewers on a twisted journey through the lives of a mother and daughter. When Grace Allen (Nia Long) goes missing while on vacation with her boyfriend Kevin (Ken Leung)–her daughter June (Storm Reid) must navigate the harrowing depths of the internet in order to find the truth. Constantly plagued by roadblocks and unexpected turns, June has her hands full–but she refuses to give up on her mother, the one person in the world that would do anything for her.
It’s a terribly difficult task to be able to combine the footage from so many different cameras with grace and cohesion, but Missing sees that happen wonderfully well. Whether it’s an iPhone, MacBook, Ring, or something else entirely, each and every piece of this is edited together with fantastic precision, never faltering, never leaving any gaps. I can’t imagine the time that it took to create Missing, a film that exists almost entirely on a screen (i.e. those aforementioned devices). However, again, there are no holes, there are no mistakes made throughout the entirety of the film in terms of cohesion.
In that same vein as the editing and cohesion, the cinematography itself is beautiful. Viewers are always given everything they need in order to understand and appreciate the film–and that all comes down to camera angles. Missing is a mystery thriller that is bold enough to tell you everything before it happens. In order for this to work, it has to be done subtly, and it is. The series of writers and directors tell you what’s coming next, what to expect, who’s around the corner and more–but it’s hidden in plain sight, in just the right way so as not to spoil viewers and give them a reason to walk away early. Director of Photography Steven Holleran is incredible, stellar in his performance throughout Missing–and much of the success that the film finds comes from his expertise.
Missing, to some degree, is a bit silly. Some of the things that occur throughout are far fetched, seemingly out of the realm of possibility. I believe that Directors Nick Johnson and Will Merrick know this about their film. I think they know their film isn’t the next billion-dollar film, but that’s good for the product. They aren’t trying to overstep or do too much, they have found a niche in the market, and they take full advantage of it. Constant twists and turns are thrown at viewers, and if viewers aren’t paying attention, those twists will throw them for a loop. This team creates a wildly enjoyable, truly fun ride for viewers. Those viewers have the chance to dive in, play along, and appreciate every minute detail of this wonderful film.
Again, this team knows what they have, they know they have a potential hit on their hands, and the attention to detail allows Missing to thrive in almost every way. Reid leads a wonderfully talented group of performers, and she is responsible for the majority of emotion present throughout the film. She helps to guide viewers through a layered narrative, full of twists and turns. Missing is a smart film that entices its viewers from the opening moments, refusing to take its foot off the gas. Missing is a great start to the year–a powerful, emotional drama, ready to flip the script on all that viewers know about the mystery genre.
Directed by Nicholas D. Johnson & Will Merrick.
Written by Will Merrick, Nicholas D. Johnson, Sev Ohanian, & Aneesh Chaganty.
Starring Storm Reid, Nia Long, Tim Griffin, Amy Landecker, Megan Suri, Ken Leung, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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