Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Screen-life movies are pioneering productions filmed entirely on a screen to simulate screen-recording software, using footage from webcams, phone cameras, and social networking platforms.
Missing is a perfect execution of this concept.
This film is a standalone sequel to Searching (2018), which followed a similar plot that followed a father searching for his missing daughter.
When her mother, Grace (Nia Long), disappears while on a vacation with her new boyfriend, June (Storm Reid) is forced to get creative with the technology she has at her fingertips to find her.
Due to international restrictions, June is stuck having to use the internet to conduct her own investigations, ultimately leaving her with more questions than answers.
Suspense is a huge plot device in this film, as it is filled with multiple misdirects and plot twists.
The audience won’t be able to guess the next move.
It is very well put together, with enough notes on the “screen” so even the computer-illiterate can follow the action.
Long and Reid’s chemistry as mother and daughter is believable and we feel June’s anguish as she panics with every dead end she finds.
One of the biggest takeaways of the film is the power of the internet, and more specifically, social media.
June is able to request help from complete strangers from the other side of the world thanks to universal apps.
Another scary point that the film makes is how easy it is to hack into someone else’s social media accounts and how everything that is posted on social media can stay there forever, even after deleting has taken place.
It does get a bit unrealistic if you are familiar with how strict Google is when trying to access passwords in real life.
Although the film does well to grasp the audience’s attention and interest throughout the film, it slowly starts to lose it with the ending.
It seems like a letdown to have so many plot twists throughout the film, and for it to end in such a predictable way.
However, the film is well worth viewing for both the plot and the important online security tips one needs to know.
Missing is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
