Missing

Overview

A young teen named June (Storm Reid) finds her nightmare confirmed when her mother (Nia Long) inexplicably vanishes while on a Colombian vacation with her boyfriend. When the authorities thwart her quest for answers, June then relies on the contemporary technology at her disposal to know the truth, encountering a web of secrets about her mother that she struggles to fathom. Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick co-direct the standalone sequel to the 2018 film. Co-starring Daniel Henney and Ken Leung.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/28/2023
UPC:	0043396631328
Original Release:	2023
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Sony Pictures
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Time:	1:50:00
Sales rank:	1,703

Editorial Reviews

Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick team up again as screenwriters and directors for Missing. The movie is an indirect sequel to their previous film Searching, both of which are from stories by Sev Ohanian. The result is a film that, on the surface, seems predictable but instead keeps the audience guessing - often incorrectly - right up to the final moments. June (Storm Reid) is a typical teenager, disconnected and anxious for a wild, drink-filled weekend. All she needs is her mother, Grace (Nia Long), to start an out-of-country vacation with her new boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung). But when she wakes up hungover, barely in time to pick her mom up from the airport, things take a dark turn. Grace never arrives. And as June starts her own investigation because international politics are moving too slowly, things begin to unravel - both about her mom and Kevin. As June digs deeper, she discovers that Grace has kept some very deep secrets. Now she's investigating not only her mother's disappearance but also the truth about a past that might be returning to haunt them both. Johnson and Merrick take Ohanian's excellent story and convert it into a phenomenal thriller. Nearly every scene is shown from the perspective of devices, and this concept seems like it should be a one-and-done success. Instead, the movie raises the bar and then leaps over it. Very little is as predictable as it looks, and the writers weave a tale that keeps the audience riveted and wholly engaged until the end scenes. Part of this success lies in Reid's performance. She skillfully moves from a bored, disconnected teenager to being a frantic and fearful yet determined technophile. As the central character, she carries the story load and never misses a step. Setting up a tale rendered completely through a dozen or more outside lenses is a daunting task; this makes the camera work the costar of this film. There isn't a moment that doesn't look exactly like it is supposed to, from high-speed computer connections to grainy tourism cameras. Best of all, they set a strong level of control over what viewers see or think they see. This also sets a tone of being in the moment instead of just watching it. By doing this, the film is much more than if it were simply following the characters around with the cameras. Missing is an exceptional example of using media to attract and distract the viewers while giving them a thrill ride of a tale instead of just the same reused theme. Most thrillers that try to accomplish this overlook something, but with Missing, everything is precisely in its place.

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