The found footage subgenre has seemingly been done to death. While the genre has seen its share of highs with “The Blair Witch Project,”, lately, found footage has simply been a vehicle for boring, low-budget horror films. “Missing,” like its predecessor, “Searching,” aims to throw a wrench in the found footage subgenre itself. Instead of being presented as footage shot on a home video camera or a security camera, both films are presented from the main characters’ MacBook along with a wide array of different technology.
“Missing” tells the story of a teenage girl, June, trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of her mother. Much like “Searching,” “Missing” uses the basic premise of a disappearance and elevates it using the extremely engaging format that is real-time found footage through June’s MacBook.
Though the ending of “Searching” is referenced in the first few minutes of “Missing,” the films are unrelated and do not have to be watched in any order; they are not truly connected. However, it is to be noted that the directors, Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick, were editors on “Searching.” This makes a lot of sense given how seamlessly the editing looks in both films.
Speaking of editing, some may call “Missing’s” format a gimmick, and they might not be wrong. However, I find the format extremely engaging and clever. The main character is seen doing everything that you would expect a teenage girl to do on her MacBook: FaceTiming her friends, watching Netflix and using Google to figure out the location of her missing mother.
“Missing” is genuinely an editing masterpiece in my opinion. This had to be an absolute headache to both direct and edit given how many small pieces had to be present in every frame of the computer screen. There are slick transitions between digital formats like June’s MacBook, iPhone and smartwatches that work extremely well throughout.
Storm Reid is fantastic in the lead as June Allen. Reid is given two extremely tough tasks: be on camera nearly the entire time and convey genuine emotion while staring at her computer screen. The latter is the most impressive in my opinion. There are many instances throughout the film where Reid is simply reacting to the information that is being conveyed on her screen. She has no other actors or anything else to bounce off; it’s simply her face reacting. This coupled with the fact that she is constantly on-screen makes Reid’s performance all the more impressive.
The twists and turns that “Missing” takes you on are an absolute blast. I never knew exactly where the film was going in the best way possible. Though I think the film may have one turn too many, I was constantly on my toes throughout the 111-minute runtime.
I can definitely see those who like to “logic the death out of movies” (nitpicking little details that may not be completely logical) not liking this film at all. There are certain aspects that don’t make complete sense logically. One example of this is that June is seen with her FaceTime camera on nearly the entire time. I can see the critique being made that most people would simply close the app and not have it open. Little things like this and other cameras being on when they otherwise wouldn’t be are present throughout the film.
However, I can absolutely ignore these little conveniences because the presentation is so engaging to me. It’s such a realistic approach to how an 18-year-old girl would interact with the internet and online communication in general. Whether it was typing then deleting her message before sending or resourcefully using Google locations and passwords, “Missing” understands how people and teens specifically use the internet.
I did find the reveals in the third act a little nonsensical, mainly due to the eventual antagonist’s plan being a bit convoluted and overly complex. Though I wouldn’t say the climax of the film was bad by any means, the first two acts were definitely a bit stronger.
“Missing” is an absolute blast. The engaging mystery coupled with the ever-engaging presentation via the MacBook footage made the film a fun joyride. Though I don’t see the film being extremely rewatchable due to the mystery element, “Missing” is a great first-time watch, and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller.
8/10
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