Missing Review - Another Screenlife dive into a rabbit hole of mystery

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The month of January used to be a time when Hollywood would use this schedule to dump movies that were considered bottom of the barrel and that should never be shown to the public. It now seems that the tables have turned and will instead become a distant memory, this month has proven to be a hit with films like Megan, Skinnamarink, and now “Missing” this stand alone sequel to the 2018 film “Searching”. This is really turning out to be a very surprising start for the year. 






If the plot seems familiar, the premise inverts that of the 2018 film “Searching,” which was edited by this film’s directors, Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick, and in which John Cho played a single father looking for his missing teenage daughter. Missing tells a similar story,  a strained parent-daughter relationship, a baffling disappearance, all unfolding on a MacBook, but as is often the case with sequels, ups the ante considerably with newer tech, bigger twists and wider world-building.





Not a bad follow-up, but certainly not on par with its predecessor. Searching was very profound and was one 2018’s best that year. Many audience members will probably be extremely skeptical of this one being a Hollywood cash grab of sorts, as someone who loved Searching and viewed this film with an open, yet cautious mind - it’s not. Structurally, the two films are practically identical, with the crisis launched at point A, a twist deployed at point B and computers nearly shut down at point C just before a revelation sends us inexorably to point D. Both films are about the ways technology isolates us and how the same technology, with no small thanks to the surveillance state, can help bring us back together


This entry definitely had more suspension of disbelief with the way some characters are utilized to propel the story along, and once we set foot into the 3rd act is when it becomes a bit artificial compared to the first two acts that felt more grounded in reality. Nonetheless, it was still an enjoyable time at the theaters. Storm Reid shows off a lot of potential and has a sharp career ahead of her, some of the side characters are diverting, and the editing is once again outstanding. The film is well aware a lot has changed since 2018 both socially and technologically. It may not win viewers over as the same way as it’s first entry did, yet Missing still manages to push the envelope on how stories are being told in bold and innovative ways, just like Searching it adds a lot to the conversation about how we need to be more aware of today’s internet, along with social media, and being careful of whom we let into our lives. If you enjoyed Searching give this one a shot because this is no bottom of the barrel January-type movie. Would anyone like to see these Screenlife movies continue on outside of the Searching universe? Let us know down below! 

 

 

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