movie review on missing

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Pop Culture Happy Hour

• Performing Arts
• Pop Culture

When her mother goes 'Missing,' a Gen-Z teen takes up a tense search on screens

Linda Holmes

June (Storm Reid) is on the case when her mother disappears during a vacation with her boyfriend. Temma Hankin/Sony Pictures hide caption

June (Storm Reid) is on the case when her mother disappears during a vacation with her boyfriend.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that repetition often destroys elegance.

Compare the elegance of Speed (if this bus slows down, it will blow up) with the clumsy Speed 2: Cruise Control (this cruise ship is going to very slowly run into a beach). The elegance of The Fast and the Furious (street racing is fun!) with Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson ending up in space. The elegance of Die Hard (one cop tries to rescue a building full of hostages) with ... well, any other Die Hard movie.

The 2014 horror film Unfriended , an early entry in the "screenlife" category in which everything plays out on computer screens, is formally elegant — simple, economical and effective. Mostly, you are just watching a group video call, with periodic visits to other places like Facebook or sketchy, unpleasantly believable forums where links seem like they could lead anywhere. And that video call, it turns out, is haunted, and will gradually knock off everybody on it. That's the story; that's the format. Screenlife has ties not just to "found-footage" movies (also formally elegant: The Blair Witch Project ), but to epistolary novels, too. In all these forms, the traditional telling of a story is replaced by the opportunity for the viewer/reader to examine the evidence that the story happened.

John Cho On Representation, 'Columbus' And His Need To Slip On A Few Banana Peels

It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

John cho and aneesh chaganty on 'searching'.

One of the producers of Unfriended was Timur Bekmambetov, who was also a producer of not only its follow-up Unfriended: Dark Web , but also the 2018 screenlife thriller Searching . Searching was directed by Aneesh Chaganty and stars John Cho as a father stumbling through the digital life of his teenage daughter trying to solve the mystery of her disappearance. And now, Bekmambetov is a producer of Missing , which is a flashier, snazzier, and — yes — less formally elegant project written and directed by Nick Johnson and Will Merrick, who were editors on Searching .

Missing stars Storm Reid as June, a bright and restless young woman whose mother, Grace (Nia Long), vanishes during a vacation to Colombia with her boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung). In an inversion of Searching 's tense portrayal of a father who feels helpless and adrift in the complexities of his daughter's highly connected life, Missing makes June a Gen-Z'er who knows how to get around adults who reuse their passwords, don't secure their devices, and thus leave themselves open to all manner of snooping. This is her environment; she is at home here on her screens.

It's a good thing June feels at ease with her tech, because 10 years after Unfriended , her online life has grown far more complicated than that haunted video call. She has a Ring doorbell, she has voice-activated everything, she can chat with people around the world who are not in front of their computers, she inhabits a world full of live webcams, and home security systems have boomed. Her social media life isn't about a Facebook page; it's about bits and bobs scattered all over. She's also not John Cho's David from Searching , who slowly explores one platform at a time, painstakingly dragging individual snippets of information out of the dark. June hops from window to window like a plate-spinner; following her "screenlife" investigation of her mother's disappearance is dizzying. It is her expectation that information she needs can be found somewhere, from her laptop. The editing has been accelerated and complicated by self-consciously inventive visual transitions, and regrettably, a lot of the simplicity has been lost.

Movie Reviews

The internet of spooky things is alive in 'unfriended'.

There is something bracingly confident, in retrospect, about Unfriended , which plays out the boring acts of typing and scrolling in real time, the frustrations of trying over and over to click on things that cannot be clicked on. (Because it's got a virus and that virus is ... a ghost.) In classic horror style, what is unseen in that film is often more frightening than what is seen, and what is seen is limited by the format. While it's a thriller rather than a horror film, Searching , too, moves deliberately, making limited and effective use of hidden cameras, streaming, and other avenues that allow a found-footage style (more similar to Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project ) to take over from a pure screenlife style.

Much of Missing , however, particularly late in its story, is more a found-footage film than a screenlife film. It doesn't rely on messages, chats, forums, or that dance of typing and scrolling — it shows you a regular scene, but from the perspective of a camera that exists inside the story.

Missing is not a bad film; it's a good film. It's smart, Reid is terrific, the thriller elements are gripping, the twists are surprising, and some of the moments in which June outsmarts people who are trying to cut her off from information she needs are highly satisfying. At the same time, it feels, in a way that's a bit deflating, like a regression to the mean, where the repetition of this format across films (with perhaps greater and greater box-office expectations) makes them less and less formally interesting.

Movie Interviews

Storm reid says making 'a wrinkle in time' was 'a dream come true', 'euphoria' actress storm reid talks about the show's popularity and power.

June's active, inventive exploration of online information is also, perhaps, part of the evolution of a concept that travels from the horror realm to the thriller realm, with the shift in intensity that suggests. Maybe if a thriller is about what frightens you, a horror film is about what frightens you most — that's an oversimplification and certainly not the genre definition, but it captures something about the difference between the adrenaline of thrillers and the visceral wallop of horror.

What frightens many of us most is not peril itself, but the growing sense of helplessness and hopelessness that horror does so well. What June has at her disposal is a multiplicity of tools, of new avenues to explore. Missing is a study of the ways in which the internet is full of a hundred ways to solve a problem; it's a story about bending these tools to your will. Unfriended was about the anonymous message, the blank page, the blinking cursor, the grayed-out option, the spinning ball, the baffling intrusion — online life when it doesn't work.

But it's hard not to wonder what a thriller would look like that had more faith in this format, that didn't feel so beholden to found-footage films. It's another truth universally acknowledged that limitations often spur creativity; Missing without the benefit of quite so many accessible cameras for June to peek through would be an adventure all its own.

Follow Polygon online:

• Follow Polygon on Facebook
• Follow Polygon on Youtube
• Follow Polygon on Instagram

Site search

• How to access the DLC
• What to do first
• Interactive map
• Walkthrough
• Scadutree Fragments
• Erdtree map fragments
• Boss locations
• Hornsent questline
• Sir Ansbach questline
• All DLC guides
• Elden Ring DLC
• Zenless Zone Zero
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• PlayStation
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Magic: The Gathering
• Board Games
• All Tabletop
• All Entertainment
• What to Watch
• What to Play
• Buyer’s Guides
• Really Bad Chess
• Pile-Up Poker
• All Puzzles

Filed under:

• Entertainment

Missing, the best mystery thriller of the year, is now on Netflix

Storm Reid tries to solve a crime from a computer

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Missing, the best mystery thriller of the year, is now on Netflix

It’s rare that a mystery movie feels new. From the world’s greatest detectives to based-on-a-beach-read thrillers, movies have mined the mystery genre for nearly all it’s worth over the years. Which is why it’s so nice when something like Missing comes along and shakes up the formula a little bit.

Missing is the 2023 follow-up to 2018’s Searching and follows June Allen ( Storm Reid ), a teenager who never really knew her father and loves (but doesn’t always get along with) her doing-her-best single mom — and she gets along even worse with her mom’s latest boyfriend. Despite that difficulty, when her mom mysteriously disappears in the middle of a trip to Mexico, June jumps into action, using everything at her disposal as an amateur online detective to find her.

This premise may sound simple, but that’s by design. Missing ’s real hook is that it’s told entirely through the on-screen displays of the devices that are in front of us every day. Scenes play out in Photo Booth windows, FaceTime calls, security footage played off a computer screen, video chats, or internet browsers. Everything in Missing comes straight off a screen, including all the detective work that June does. This isn’t the first movie to present its plot almost entirely through a screen, but it does take a more varied approach and changes locations more often than movies like Unfriended or its superior sequel, Unfriended: Dark Web .

This is where the movie’s cleverness really shines through. Missing is a movie that’s confident on the internet. It understands there are livestreams of most bustling public places at any given time, or that a Tasker or other gig app worker is a good way of being somewhere without having to physically go there. We even get clever phishing scams designed to entrap boomers, and some clever account manipulation that feels grounded enough to work. It’s a refreshing change from the versions of the internet in other thrillers and never falls prey to their comical depictions of “hacking” or pretending their characters are tech geniuses.

The framing of shots that play out via webcam or video feed is creative and organic, and gives the movie a genuine air of suspense that makes us feel just as helpless as June does with her remote investigating. It’s an impressive feat to make sure all this camera work is never annoying and doesn’t call attention to itself, but debut directors Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick pull it off in increasingly surprising ways up to Missing ’s very last moments. They find dozens of ways to showcase the action without repeating anything too many times, and turn the limitations of webcam or iPhone viewing angles into opportunities for tension.

But Missing is more than just the sum of its gimmicks. It is, first and foremost, just a supremely entertaining movie. It gives viewers plenty of clues to solve its mystery themselves, but plays things out just as entertainingly if you’re an amateur Hercule Poirot or simply content to sit on the sidelines and let the characters do the solving. Even beyond its actual mystery, Missing is a rare whip-smart thriller that never lets its stakes get out of hand and keeps things fun, even when the situations on screen are at their most dire.

Missing is streaming on Netflix

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.

Sign up for the newsletter Shopkeeper

We deliver the best gaming deals to your inbox for the perfect price: free

Just one more thing!

Please check your email to find a confirmation email, and follow the steps to confirm your humanity.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

Loading comments...

GTA 6: Everything we know so far about Rockstar’s next game

Helldivers 2 composer Wilbert Roget thinks of game scoring as ‘first-person’ and ‘third-person’

The collector’s box set of Robotech is on sale for its lowest price yet — includes an actual Veritech

Final Fantasy 1-6 Pixel Remaster games are 20% off through this weekend

The first look at Netflix’s YA dystopian series Uglies is a helluva flashback

No Man’s Sky’s new Worlds update shook up all my favorite planets

‘Missing’ Review: Amateur Sleuth Storm Reid Does Her Detective Work by Screens in ‘Searching’ Sequel

As a teen searching for her mother, the 'Euphoria' star is better at being extremely online than filmmakers Nick Johnson and Will Merrick in this serviceable screenlife thriller.

By Todd Gilchrist

Todd Gilchrist

• Ryuichi Sakamoto’s ‘Opus’ Offers a Posthumous Celebration of the Japanese Musical Icon’s Work 13 hours ago
• Super7 to Commemorate MF Doom and Madlib’s ‘Madvillainy’ With ‘All Caps’ Video-Inspired Action Figure (EXCLUSIVE) 7 days ago
• ‘Torso,’ Sergio Martino’s Trailblazing 1973 Slasher Film, Set For 4K Release in September 1 week ago

Related Stories

How media companies medal in a different olympics: european video market share, dan rather looks back at turbulent 1968 democratic convention, says biden-harris switch was 'almost anticlimactic' in comparison, popular on variety.

June files a missing persons report for Grace, but not before contacting their hotel, whose desk clerk further inflames worry by informing her that they left behind all of their luggage. Enlisting her classmate Veena (Megan Suri), as well as Javi (Joaquim de Almeida), a courier she hires to help her pursue leads in Colombia, June either deduces or hacks the passwords to her mother’s online accounts — and from there, Kevin’s — hoping for any kind of trail that leads to Grace’s whereabouts. June eventually discovers some intriguing conversations between Grace and Kevin from early in their courtship that she shares with the authorities, but their combined efforts conjure more questions than answers, leaving the teen increasingly unmoored as she faces the likely possibility of losing her only remaining parent.

The challenge with a story about screens is figuring out how to make them interesting — to make them like more than cages the characters must break out of — and Johnson and Merrick do a serviceable if inconsistent job of balancing June’s emotional journey and the cluttered desktop of her amateur investigation. As irritating (and possibly believable) as it might be for a teenager to speak to virtually everyone around them while staring distantly into a phone or monitor, audiences become invested when she’s on screen, and if Reid almost comically underplays a few pivotal scenes along the way, seeing her becomes preferable to the too-many-open-tabs exposition that comes and goes at the filmmakers’ convenience, or desperation.

Unlike such earlier screenlife films as “Unfriended” whose conceit is effectively that the story is comprised of unfiltered “found” footage, there’s no reason that the film must be confined to a phone or computer monitor, especially since composer Julian Scherle provides a buzzing, fairly constant score to ratchet up the intensity, and Johnson and Merrick freely cut to external angles when it suits their needs. But in adhering to the notion that as much of the action as possible should be delivered via June’s devices, the filmmaking pair undercuts key payoffs by photographing them from dispassionate wide angles and then zooming in like they’re trying to make the best of grainy surveillance footage.

Even if it delivers no particular insights about them, the film distantly touches on the contemporary phenomenon of amateur sleuthing, the impact of several decades of “Dateline”-type shows on these would-be investigators (the one here, carried over from “Searching,” is called “Unfiction”) and the proliferation of callous, half-baked theories about ripped-from-the-headlines crimes on social media platforms. “Missing” ultimately proves so beholden to its central technological premise that audiences who take it at face value may become distracted by questioning how they’re seeing certain information, and from whose perspective, instead of focusing on a sequence of events that’s increasingly preposterous but nevertheless should prove gripping — at least as long as those who watch it don’t do as much digging as June does.

Reviewed at AMC Century City, Los Angeles, Jan. 12, 2023. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 111 MIN.

• Production: A Sony release of a Stage 6 Films, Screen Gems presentation of a Bazelevs, Search Party production. Producers: Natalie Qasabian, Sev Ohanian, Aneesh Chaganty. Executive producers: Timur Bekmambetov, Adam Sidman, Jo Henriquez. Co-producer: Congyu E.
• Crew: Directors: Will Merrick, Nick Johnson. Screenplay: Will Merrick & Nick Johnson; story: Sev Ohanian & Aneesh Chaganty. Camera: Steven Holleran. Editors: Arielle Zakowski, Austin Keeling. Music: Julian Scherle.
• With: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Amy Landecker, with Daniel Henney, Nia Long.

More from Variety

Life after ‘deadpool’: summer movies resurrection begs rethink of long-term box office outlook, growing globalization of production spells trouble for hollywood, more from our brands, shawn mendes sings he was ‘about to be a father’ on new track, billionaire larry ellison just bought the famous eau palm beach resort in florida, scrubs maker figs bets on team usa as q2 costs rise, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, the rookie exclusive: tru valentino not returning for season 7.

Review: ‘Missing’ turns up more terrors in tech and true crime

• Copy Link URL Copied!

In 2018, director Aneesh Chaganty and co-writer Sev Ohanian turned in a nifty little thriller, “Searching , ” that comments on the way we live now, which is to say, online. In it, John Cho searches for his missing daughter through her digital detritus, parsing clues in plain sight. The entirety of the film took place on a computer screen, making use of the way cameras permeate our everyday existence, from FaceTime to surveillance video.

“Searching” was a critical and commercial success, and a follow-up, “Missing” — written and directed by Nick Johnson and Will Merrick, with a story by Chaganty and Ohanian — hits theaters this week. This time, it’s a parent that’s gone missing, and as the daughter searches for her mother, she turns up a whole host of new terrors and triumphs of tech and true crime.

For your safety

The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC and local health officials .

Johnson and Merrick use the format set by “Searching,” but the technological, cultural and media landscape has evolved, including the fire hose of streaming true crime content. The only time the camera is ever liberated from the laptop screen is during fake-out re-creations from a Netflix true crime series called “Unfiction.” There’s also the proliferation of TikTok detectives and Twitter police performing armchair analysis on every missing person case.

If you’ve seen “Searching,” you’ll probably have an inkling that the answer will be planted in front of filmgoers, but “Missing” takes some absolutely wild and crazy twists and turns in arriving at its destination. College-bound June ( Storm Reid ), 18, just wants to rage with her friends while her mom, Grace ( Nia Long ), is on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung). But when a hungover June rolls into LAX to pick them up a week later, Grace and Kevin are no-shows.

Relying on her impressive Google skills, innate to a digitally native member of Gen Z, June starts searching for her missing mom, combing through tourist live cams, bank statements and hiring a TaskRabbit-type helper, Javi (Joaquim de Almeida), to do footwork in Colombia. June is smart, resourceful and bold, and the way she cracks passwords and navigates the maze of information will make anyone think deeply about how much data tracking one should leave toggled on in their Google account. Is it better to leave a trace? Depends on what you’re doing.

The suspenseful “Missing” plows through nearly two hours of shocking plot twists at a breakneck pace. And while it’s entertaining to be sure, it also takes on a somber tone as it reckons with grief, loss and intimate partner violence in a way that’s very real, backed up by headlines ripped from the news, and yes, those true crime series and TikToks that are so very compelling.

That’s what makes movies like “Searching” and “Missing” so captivating. They’re not only high-concept thrillers featuring melodramatic acting (Reid is a likable presence, but it’s doubtful she’ll snag an Independent Spirit Award nomination the way Cho did) but they also feel authentic to the way we live, even in the outlandish moments.

We experience so much of our reality online, unknowingly scattering artifacts of our lived experience as we click and swipe. But “Searching” and “Missing” reiterate that despite the pictures, videos, the bread crumbs of humanity reflected in zeroes and ones, there’s nothing like the real thing, for better, or for worse.

Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

Rated: PG-13, for some strong violence, language, teen drinking and thematic material Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes Playing: Starts Jan. 20 in general release

More to Read

Behind a Monterey Park girl’s mysterious disappearance: A father and mother at war

Aug. 7, 2024

Emma Myers leads a suspenseful teen mystery in ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’

Aug. 1, 2024

Review: In ‘Great Absence,’ a son puzzles out the dad he misunderstood, now fading into dementia

July 26, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Entertainment & Arts

Cate Blanchett says ‘Lord of the Rings’ cast didn’t rake it in. A perk: ‘I got to keep my ears’

Aug. 8, 2024

Connie Chiume, South African actor known for ‘Black Panther’ role, dies at 72

Colin Farrell channels son James’ Angelman syndrome to launch new foundation: ‘He’s magic’

Meet Fede Alvarez, the Uruguayan director whom Hollywood trusts with its horror babies

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 79% Cuckoo Link to Cuckoo
• 97% Dìdi Link to Dìdi
• 96% Good One Link to Good One

New TV Tonight

• 58% The Umbrella Academy: Season 4
• 100% Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 1
• 80% Mr. Throwback: Season 1
• -- Dance Moms: A New Era: Season 1
• -- Blue Ribbon Baking Championship: Season 1
• -- Love Is Blind: UK: Season 1
• -- The Mallorca Files: Season 3
• -- Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?: Season 1
• -- PD True: Season 1
• -- Yo Gabba GabbaLand!: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 83% A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season 1
• 97% Batman: Caped Crusader: Season 1
• 100% Women in Blue: Season 1
• 85% House of the Dragon: Season 2
• 80% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 100% Supacell: Season 1
• 78% Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• 89% Sunny: Season 1
• 77% Lady in the Lake: Season 1
• 97% The Old Man: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• 97% Batman: Caped Crusader: Season 1 Link to Batman: Caped Crusader: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

61 Worst Blockbusters of All Time Ranked

All Blake Lively Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Sing Sing ’s Colman Domingo Talks Fashion as He Breaks Down His Career

Captain America: Brave New World : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & More

• Trending on RT
• Re-Release Calendar
• Popular Complete Series
• Renewed and Cancelled TV
• Shows on Hulu

Missing Reviews

It’s so damn immersive it might as well be an endless Twitter thread on a late Sunday night.

Full Review | Jul 9, 2024

The film is a loose sequel to 2018’s Searching, and, despite aiming at a somewhat younger audience than its predecessor, it sure doesn’t fail at making us scared.

Full Review | Feb 1, 2024

Ultimately, this is a truly enjoyable experience for anyone looking for a film that will make them think about theories, debate, or simply gawk at intense and absurd turning points. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Dec 19, 2023

The screenlife storytelling technique remains fascinating, as debutants Will Merrick and Nick Johnson bring an insane level of mind-blowing detail to every single digital frame.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Nov 27, 2023

Wherever the line exists between breathless entertainment and strained contrivance, “Missing” spends a decent amount of time on both sides.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Aug 22, 2023

Long and Leung quietly steal the movie as their characters exchange vulnerability-exposing messages on an online dating service during their courtship, convincing as second-act people falling in love

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 16, 2023

It is surprising how much tension can be created when all of the action unfolds in the cyber world.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Aug 9, 2023

Missing is a time capsule of our modern digital age that proves the love between a mother and a daughter is fierce, confusing, and timeless.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

I was worried about MISSING being the same bag of tricks from its predecessor SEARCHING… but thankfully with new pieces of technology, a bigger scope of characters/locations, & an overall thrilling mystery.. MISSING IS GREAT

Excellently acted, full to the brim with twists and with good use of it's technology technique, Missing is an extremely competent thriller.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 24, 2023

The format means there’s no room to hide, and Reid is talented enough to excel in a role that requires her face to be on screen for the best part of 90 minutes; to hold your own against veterans like Long and Almeida is no mean feat.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 27, 2023

The imagery is fiendishly clever, sending a terrific cast spiralling through a series of mind-boggling twists and turns. But as involving as the movie is, the plot completely disintegrates if you take a moment to think about it.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 25, 2023

Missing does unleash some mighty big twists and turns, at points stretching the very credulity it successfully builds overall, and maybe having one reveal too many, but – despite threatening to – it never comes off the rails...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 25, 2023

The inventive approach and the frantic energy of the storytelling elevate the picture above its slightly gimmicky formal device, though this film lacks the novelty value that made Searching such a talking point.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 23, 2023

As a nosey parker riff on the dating history of your parents, the film has a clickbaity kind of appeal...

'Missing' misses the point.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Apr 21, 2023

Writer-directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson push a little at the boundaries of credibility, but it’s ingeniously done.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 21, 2023

Good fun for an hour, but the novelty wears thin, and that final third is positively bananas, in all the worst ways. Approach with caution.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 20, 2023

The final act was one reveal too many, unfortunately, and a glib use of a serious subject matter doesn’t help.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 19, 2023

A gripping, well-told, incredibly watchable thriller for a new generation of TikTok sleuths — and a compelling argument to up your average screen-time.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 17, 2023

Missing (2023) Review

21 Apr 2023

Missing (2023)

Released in 2018, Searching seemed the natural cinematic response to a generation of people raised and nourished by screens. Directed by Aneesh Chaganty, it built on the cinematic language established in 2014's Unfriended , a subgenre that producer Timur Bekmambetov labelled ‘screenlife’ — where the entirety of the onscreen action takes place within the confines of a computer or phone browser window, the drama playing out in FaceTime calls, texts, and frantic Google searches — the ‘mise-en-screen’, if you will. It was an ingenious, original and very of-its-time thriller.

So nakedly entertaining and consistently satisfying that it perhaps even edges past its predecessor.

Missing , the spiritual sequel to Searching , involves an entirely new story and — save for a sly reference to John Cho ’s character in the prologue — an entirely new cast, but it retains the cinematic grammar and philosophy of the original film. New writer-directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson served as editors of Searching , and were heavily responsible for co-creating that screenlife style. Clearly, they have a keen understanding of how this unusual format works, how it should look, and how its visual limitations require pace and drama as counterpoint. So, again, underneath the flashily vibrant, music video-style editing, there is fleet-footed storytelling, a mystery that builds and evolves, twists, red herrings and long-dormant secrets behind every new browser window.

The stage is nicely set for a well-made retread, then. But Missing is so nakedly entertaining and consistently satisfying that, in a few ways, it perhaps even edges past its predecessor. For one thing, switching the main perspective from John Cho’s naive middle-aged dad to Storm Reid ’s tech-literate Gen-Z hero June feels a particularly smart move: it makes far more sense that an Extremely Online 18-year-old would have the amateur sleuthing skillset to slowly unravel the mystery of her missing mother. For her part, Reid is excellent, engaging company.

Her performance also helps contribute to the fact that this is, impressively, more emotionally rich than the original film. While both are stories about fractured relationships between parents and children being healed through a traumatic experience, Missing finds surprising, dramatically powerful ways to deepen that arc, with a final-act reveal that hits hard. And while the plausibility of the screenlife format is certainly stretched — as with Cho’s character in Searching , June helpfully leaves her FaceTime camera on at all times, even when not on a call — it’s never totally broken, Merrick and Johnson finding new ingenious ways to keep the action on a screen (from a remote security set-up to a smart watch camera). In fact, amid the heartrate-swelling suspense, it even finds room for warmth and humour — a joke about CAPTCHAs is particularly well-observed — and crucially, tells a story that would still work gangbusters in a conventional film. That’s Missing ’s true strength: as shrewd and gimmicky as its format is, it is, fundamentally, a good film first.

Related Articles

Movies | 16 11 2022

Home » Movies » Movie Reviews

Missing (2023) Review – anxiety-ridden and armrest-grabbing movie

Anxiety-ridden and armrest-grabbing, Missing is the type of old-fashioned thriller that trades star power for a good story that audiences are clamoring for.

We review of 2023 movie Missing, which does not contain spoilers.

There is just something about the new genre of storytelling from the original makers of Searching that brings the necessary storytelling suspense that audiences have been searching for. Missing from Hollywood films is a good story, one that doesn’t cover up plotholes with massive globs of expensive CGI and special effects. Missing ‘s anxiety-ridden and armrest-grabbing script is so old-fashioned it could be considered retro.

Missing (2023) movie Review and Plot Summary

The story follows an 18-year-old high school student named June ( A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid ), a teenager who has lived with the trauma of her father’s dying of cancer when she was a small child. She lives in that moment daily. So much so she is so worried about losing another parent, evident by the way she saves almost any voicemail from her mother, Grace ( Nia Long ), even keeping her at a distance to protect herself. However, Grace is moving on with her life. She is now dating Kevin ( Kenneth Leung of The Sopranos and Lost fame), who is eager to win June’s approval.

Kevin is taking Grace on vacation to Columbia (was Hawaii closed for the season?). So, what possibly could go wrong? Grace is overprotective of her and is now recognized by the state as an adult daughter. She transfers 350 dollars into her account for emergencies while she is gone. The single mother also has her best friend and attorney, Heather ( Amy Landecker ), check in on her. Unfortunately, the vacation takes place over father’s day, another reminder of what she never had and lost.

June throws a party with her friends over the weekend. She then goes to pick up her mother at the airport, but she is nowhere to be found. Worried, she contacts Heather. They begin to reach the Columbian consulate and the FBI agent assigned to the case (played by The Wheel of Time ‘s Daniel Henney ) when things do not move as fast as June’s liking with all the red tape. The determined teen hires a local handyman ( Desperado ‘s Joaquim de Almeida ) for eight dollars an hour to head over to the hotel to review the footage. What she finds next is terrifying. Why? Because she could find herself parentless and without family if she can not bring her mother home.

If the film looks familiar, it should. Written and directed by Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick , the story comes from Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian , responsible for 2018’s surprise Hitchcockian hit, Searching. Johnson and Merrick, bother editors on Chaganty’s first film, show an eye-opening amount of confidence and a remarkably steady hand for their first-time feature. Keep in mind this is the first feature film they both have written and directed. (Both have only performed those duties in a handful of short films up to this point). The final product of this stand-alone sequel is well-crafted. The script still builds a genuine amount of suspense while keeping the first trademark poignancy.

And that’s no short feet working with such a young actress in Storm Reid. While Searching had the always underutilized and underappreciated John Cho’s moving portrayal of a broken father frantically searching for his missing daughter, Reid’s June brings enough stoic thoughtfulness to the screen that is refreshing. The young actor doesn’t veer far away from the script, never mugging up the screen for effect. Reid keeps a youthful way about her character that is believable. Like rolling her eyes at Heather for finding Kevin hot or violating boundaries with Javier, it all works well within the story.

Many may find the storytelling tool of moving the narrative through a “screenlife” mystery tiresome, but I have to admit the device remains endlessly clever here. Using websites, live cams, security video doorbell systems, geo-tracking, and the amusing use of a streaming service builds the tension needed for a thriller. Admittingly, the “gimmick” allows the script to patronize (or even be condescending to) the audience. The trick here is without anyone realizing it. Even without the negative consequences.

Is the 2023 movie Missing good?

While Searching had the tone of a true crime documentary, Missing tends to expand on the original’s premise, which sometimes tends to strain credibility. Also, the film’s big twist is fairly obvious if you know what to look for and have seen enough movies to know what to expect. Yet, the script is suspenseful and touching enough to make the viewer care. It’s the old-fashioned thriller with a modern presentation that trades star power for a good story that audiences are clamoring for.

What did you think of the 2023 movie Missing? Comment below.

More Stories

• Missing (2023) Ending Explained
• Is the 2023 movie Missing based on a true story?
• Is the 2023 film Missing the sequel to Searching?
• 10 movies like Missing (2023) you must watch
• Best Movies of 2023

Article by Marc Miller

Marc Miller (also known as M.N. Miller) joined Ready Steady Cut in April 2018 as a Film and TV Critic, publishing over 1,600 articles on the website. Since a young age, Marc dreamed of becoming a legitimate critic and having that famous “Rotten Tomato” approved status – in 2023, he achieved that status.

Where is Timothy Bass Now? Explained

Space Force season 2, episode 2 recap – “Budget Cuts”

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

Missing (2023) Movie Review – Digital storytelling format is highly effective again

Digital storytelling format is highly effective again.

Aneesh Chaganty’s minimalist Searching (2018) set a pretty high standard for a relatively new storytelling format. With Missing, the filmmaker settled as the writer/producer and handed over the reins to Nick Johnson and Will Merrick. It is safe to say that Missing follows a mostly similar path as Searching with familiar themes and narrative outlay.

Storm Reid, who was most recently seen in episode 7 of The Last of Us , stars as June Allen. This time around, the tables turn and it is the daughter looking for her mother.

The feeling of familiarity is fully exploited in Missing. Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty were smart not to change the setup and themes too much. Mostly, some updated technological advancements have found their way into the story and influenced it quite sweepingly. Take a breath before you start watching how easy it is to gain access to your private stuff on the internet.

Even though the point of Missing is not to paint a dark picture of the endless possibilities, that element becomes an important and memorable takeaway from the film.

One of Missing’s greatest strengths is its ability to keep the audience guessing. The plot is full of twists and turns, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, another surprise is thrown your way. This keeps the tension high throughout and makes for a genuinely engaging experience. It must be said that even though the story is more complex, it comes at a cost.

The subtext is a little compromised as a result but definitely not a deal-breaker. The role reversal brings a new level of vulnerability and tech-savvy to the screen too. June makes for a more compelling anchor to the story because of her profile. One can even purport that had it been David Kim – the protagonist from the previous movie – he would not have been able to get very far.

The volatility in her emotional and mental state is starkly different from Kim’s. It places the viewers, especially younger ones, in a more relatable position relative to the story. With that in mind, there is a sense of stereotyping in some aspects of teen life today by Chaganty. That allows some convenient characterization of Grace and her friends, aiding the storytelling effort. But none of the pitfalls of Missing can be said to bring it down.

Most flaws are excusable and do not affect Missing foundationally. Editing is once again top-notch to make the experience of watching the film and following the plot seamlessly. We switch from one window to the other with great efficiency and purpose. There are a few missteps along the way but nothing too serious. Ironically, the editors from Searching are directors in Missing – Merrick and Johnson.

There are some internal potshots as well by Chaganty and Ohanian. Unfiction, the parodical true-crime series that takes place in Missing’s universe streams on Netflix and not Prime Video, the platform on which Missing is available to stream. It was rumoured a few years ago that Netflix had picked up to finance and distribute the sequel but clearly, the deal fell through.

The meta touch is in good taste and is an overall part of the truncated funny vein of Missing. There was some more promise to be extracted from that genre within the storytelling but Missing “misses” the point of that.

Storm Reid is exceptional as June, making for a reliable protagonist like John Cho in Searching. It is ironic that we get to see her star in a central role after seeing glimpses of her feisty personality as Riley in The Last of Us. She is comfortable across the spectrum of emotions, hardly showing any weaknesses in expressing June’s mental state. She is supported well by Amy Landecker (Heather), Nia Long (Grace), and Tim Griffin (James).

Missing is a simple-minded highly effective standalone sequel to Searching with its own story to tell. The foyer of familiarity drives home the point of a trusted narrative approach, making it yet another compelling watch from Aneesh Chaganty’s growing stature of work.

Read More: Missing Ending Explained

Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!

Leave a comment.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming
• Drama , Mystery/Suspense , Thriller

Content Caution

In Theaters

• January 20, 2023
• Storm Reid as June; Nia Long as Grace; Joaquim de Almeida as Javi; Daniel Henney as Agent Park; Ken Leung as Kevin; Amy Landecker as Heather; Megan Suri as Veena; Tim Griffin as James; Michael Segovia as Angel; Lauren B. Mosley as Rachel; Tracy Vilar as Det. Gomez; Ava Zaria Lee as Young June

Home Release Date

• March 7, 2023
• Nicholas D. Johnson; Will Merrick

Distributor

• Stage 6 Films

Movie Review

Things just haven’t been the same since June’s father died.

June loved her dad, and she still thinks about him all the time. But when he succumbed to a brain tumor, her whole life was uprooted. She and her mom, Grace, moved to Los Angeles and began a new life together there.

More than a decade passed. Grace began dating again. And she found a nice guy, Kevin, who seems to really get her—even more than June does. Then again, these days June and Grace don’t exactly have the best relationship.

Case in point: Kevin has booked a nice vacation getaway to Colombia for himself and Grace. She’s agreed to go with him—even though the trip will happen over Father’s Day .

June, meanwhile, isn’t ready to move on. And she’s frustrated that her mom seems OK with letting her father’s memory fade into oblivion.

Well, at least with Grace gone, June will be able to throw a big house party for her friends, then dance and drink her problems away—at least for a little bit. You know, maybe it’s not so bad having mom out of the house?

That’s what June thinks at first. But when the day comes for her to pick her mom up from the airport, well, Grace isn’t there. In fact, she isn’t anywhere where her daughter can locate or call her. Soon, June’s concerned enough to call the Colombian hotel for answers.

The answer? Grace and Kevin vanished from the hotel, leaving everything behind. No one knows where they are.

But that’s not going to stop June from doing everything she can to find her missing mother.

Positive Elements

When June’s mother disappears, the teen’s disdain gradually transforms into concern, love and action. She obviously can’t travel to Colombia on her own. But June resourcefully uses technology of all kinds to begin trying to figure out what happened to her mom and Kevin.

During her search, June connects with a Colombian man, Javi, who is very helpful in her investigation. Though Javi is initially hired on an hourly rate as something like a private investigator, he eventually begins helping June for free when he realizes the severity of the situation. The two of them bond over their broken relationships with respective family members, and Javi reminds June that a good parent’s love is unconditional.

Though June uses technology in some pretty ingenious ways to track down her mom, we’re also shown just how quickly people using social media can create and spread false narratives. We see plenty of Internet users speculating with little evidence about what really happened, for example.

June initially disrespects and feels callous towards her mom. But Grace’s disappearance causes June to regret how she treated her mom. She looks through previous texts and voicemails that remind her just how much love her mother has for her.

Spiritual Elements

A man runs a program called Holy Father Ministries, a reentry program for ex-convicts.

Sexual Content

During her search for answers, June finds a sexted photo of a woman in her underwear. People are briefly seen in swimsuits.

Violent Content

June’s father’s nose begins bleeding early in the film, and we soon  learn that he’s died because of a brain tumor.

Later, the camera comes across the dead body of someone, found shot in the head. Another person is shot and killed offscreen. Someone is shot in the side, and blood splatters the wall behind them. Another person is stabbed with a shard of glass. Someone mentions being domestically abused. There’s a kidnapping as well.

Crude or Profane Language

The s-word is used 10 times. The f-word is implied twice with the acronyms “STFU” and “WTF.” “H—,” “d–n” and “a–” are used sparingly. A typo causes a man to text “c-ck” instead of “mock.” God’s name is misused 15 times. Jesus’ name is taken in vain twice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

We see a party of underaged teenagers drink alcohol—and June, who is 18, drinks so much that she vomits and passes out. Later, a friend mentions being hungover.

We hear a reference to drug use and drug distribution.

Other Negative Elements

We discover that someone was, at one point, a con man.

Man, it’s amazing just how much technology can do these days. We have calculators that can instantly solve complex math. We have trackers that can pinpoint our location with the use of satellite technology. And we have apps that can help us deduce exactly what happened to our missing mother when she never returned from her vacation in Colombia.

OK, that last one might be a bit speculative. But in Missing , that’s exactly what we see.

Missing is a “standalone sequel” to Searching . Much like its predecessor, it stars someone desperately scouring technological rabbit trails to determine what happened to a missing family member. In fact, every second of this mystery thriller unfolds via various phone and laptop screens—the foremost being the laptop of our central protagonist, June.

But just because the story advances via multiple open tabs (that would make me instinctively want to check my laptop’s battery level), that doesn’t mean there isn’t content here. Several characters are shot and killed. Teenagers drink enough alcohol at a party to induce vomiting. And as for the language, that’s present, too.

At the same time, the film reminds us of how we can take our familial relationships for granted, and how we might not appreciate what we have until after it’s gone.

The film’s unique style makes for a thrilling ride for adult viewers. Somehow, the filmmakers make scrolling through a Gmail account or backing out of a driveway seem like the most intense things ever filmed. But it’s a ride that has its share of bumps, and it’s not a digital road trip that you’ll likely want young kids to take with you.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

Latest Reviews

It Ends with Us

Monster High 2

The Instigators

The Firing Squad

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

• Things to Do
• Travel & Explore
• Investigations
• Advertise with Us
• Newsletters
• AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year
• Connect With Us
• For Subscribers
• Contributor Content
• Home & Garden Ideas

'Missing' is like 'Searching' on steroids. You better hold on.

How far will you go to find a missing loved one? If you’re Liam Neeson, to the ends of the earth. For “Euphoria” actress Storm Reid, to Google Search and beyond … at least within the bounds of cyberspace. 

“Missing” is a follow-up, but not exactly a sequel to, the 2018 film “Searching.” The concept is the same: Tell a thrilling missing-person story through Gen-Z style found footage. 

Yet what was novel in “Searching” felt redundant in “Missing” — at least until the second act. All the action is told through a screen of some kind. It’s a challenging and restrictive way to tell a story. But that is what made “Searching” so exciting. Creativity is cranked to maximum when you’re restricted to such tight parameters. 

Woof: In Netflix's 'Dog Gone,' Rob Lowe looks for a dog and finds an abundance of clichés

The filmmaking style in 'Missing' threatens to wear out its welcome

But as “The Blair Witch Project” dazzled audiences in 1999 with its unusual delivery, its style quickly grew kitschy as more films mimicked it. The same will undoubtedly happen with these “screen-story” types of movies such as “Missing.” 

What made the difference for “Missing” is the story. It’s not a direct cookie-cutter replica of its predecessor. The core ingredients are there, but the filmmakers added some extra spice.  

June, played by Storm Reid, is your typical prickly 18-year-old. Raised by her mother Grace (Nia Long), June has entered a time in her life where she feels ready to escape parental guidance. 

June’s father is missing from her life. As such, she’s not particularly welcoming to her mother’s boyfriend, Kevin, played by Ken Leung. 

Grace is a loving, if overprotective, mother who’s not tech savvy.

“Siri, call June.”

“Mom, you’re on FaceTime.”

June responds to the all-consuming motherly affection by never checking her voicemails, and giving a thumbs-up when Grace texts, “I love you.” In typical teenager fashion, she cannot wait for the grownups to leave the house so she can go wild with her friends.

The action truly begins when Grace and Kevin fail to return from a romantic getaway to Columbia. Enter Act 2.

June jumps into a head-spinning investigation to figure out what happened to her mother. Did Kevin kidnap her? Were they abducted? Did they never leave the country? And why does she keep getting texts from an acquaintance about his missing watch? There ain’t no time for that!

Through security cameras, Google, tracking devices and more, June tries to uncover the truth. 

Must see: Best TV and movie scenes of 2022: 'The Bear,' Jenna Ortega's dance, Rusty Bowers and more

What drives the movie is the story itself, and the sense of fun

As mentioned before, the concept of telling a story through “screens” like computers, phones and cameras isn’t as novel as it was in “Searching.” But the number of plot twists will leave you second-guessing yourself. I was only able to figure out the answer to about a third of the mysteries. But the rest left a thrilling impression that made “Missing” a genuinely fun ride.

Reid seemed very much in her element. Rather than acting at us through the screens, she really managed to embody her character. 

Hats off to the writers and directors, Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick, for keeping the audience guessing. 

On the whole, “Missing” managed to capture the imagination. And it took a storytelling style to its most ludacris yet exciting ends. Honestly, what are the odds of hiring an errand-runner in Columbia for $8 an hour who can speak English? Even so, I would watch this movie again. It’s that much fun. 

Nice catch: Larry Fitzgerald on being on the other side of the microphone: 'I try to make it unique'

‘Missing’ Four stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick.

Cast: Storm Reid, Nia Long, Ken Leung.

Rating: PG-13 for some strong violence, language, teen drinking and thematic material.

How to watch: In theaters Jan. 20.

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Medithon Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Priyanka Chopra shows off her ‘new eye colour’ as she preps for ‘Citadel’ Season 2

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial debut ‘Khamoshi: The Musical’ completes 28 years

When Jaya Bachchan revealed Amitabh Bachchan was not romantic with her; Says, 'We hardly spoke'

Naga Chaitanya-Sobhita Dhulipala, Arbaaz Khan-Sshura Khan, Imran Khan-Lekha Washington: Celebs who gave love a second chance

Author Amish Tripathi to lead creative direction for ‘Shri Radha Ramanam’, bringing Lord Krishna's tale to global audiences

Imran Khan has THIS refreshing take on Shah Rukh Khan's character in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge... 'he takes on roles traditionally associated with women...'

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

Aliya Basu Gayab Hai

Hocus Focus

Ghuspaithiya

Auron Mein Kahan Dum T...

Uparwala & Sons

The UP Files

​Amruta Khanvilkar captivates in stylish ethnic ensembles​

Sobhita Dhulipala: The Fashionable Queen's Stunning Looks

Samantha Ruth Prabhu's inspiring statements

Sobhita Dhulipala redefines elegancy

Malavika Mohanan to Sobhita Dhulipala, best photos of the week

​Dimple Hayathi mesmerises in timeless traditional ensembles​

​In pics: Stunning looks of Rakul Preet Singh​

Madhuri Braganza: A ray of sunshine in new pics!

Jacqueline Fernandez to Zareen Khan: Celebrating feline moms on International Cat Day

Decoding the essence of Hansika Motwani's true beauty

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Th...

Bloody Ishq

Chalti Rahe Zindagi

Nanban Oruvan Vantha Pi...

Mazhai Pidikkatha Manit...

VascoDaGama

Chiyaan Vikram goes sty...

Purushothamudu

Sarangadhariya

Prabuthwa Junior Kalash...

Music Shop Murthy

Bhaje Vaayu Vegam

Gam Gam Ganesha

Level Cross

Agathokakological

Nadanna Sambavam

Little Hearts

Gaganachari

CID Ramachandran Retd. ...

Avatara Purusha 2

Chow Chow Bath

Hide And Seek

Somu Sound Engineer

Manikbabur Megh: The Cl...

Rajnandini Paul and Ama...

Chaalchitra Ekhon

Nayan Rahasya

Teriya Meriya Hera Pher...

Kudi Haryane Val Di

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gharat Ganpati

Ek Don Teen Chaar

Danka Hari Namacha

Aamhi Jarange

Vishay Hard

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Missing Movie Review : This one clicks its way to thrilling entertainment

• Times Of India

In-depth Analysis

Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.

Missing - Official Trailer

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Visual Stories

How to make South Indian Vegetable Stew

Top 11 cleanest states in India for 2024

Divyanka Tripathi’s approved stylish and gorgeous looks

Entertainment

Paris Olympics 2024: Neeraj Chopra's silver-winning protein-packed diet

Shreema Bhattacharjee’s top ten trendy looks

National Book Lovers Day: 8 novels that will touch your heart and change your life forever

News - Missing

Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Riteish Deshmukh's 'Heyy Ba...

Upcoming anime you can’t miss: The top 10 fresh release...

You cannot miss the jaw-dropping transformation of THIS...

Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja's son Vayu takes a stroll ...

Karisma Kapoor's kids Samaira and Kiaan give the paps a...

Divyanshi Batra is Femina Miss India Uttar Pradesh 2024...

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Popular Movie Reviews

Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli

Project Silence

The Instigators

Deadpool & Wolverine

Sleeping Dogs

Mothers' Instinct

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly ...

Missing Ending Explained: What Really Happened To Grace Allen?

Spoilers ahead!

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for Missing . If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

Missing is a movie that keeps you on your toes. Following the central mystery through the eyes of protagonist June Allen ( Euphoria cast member Storm Reid ), the film leads audiences down paths that seem to directly point at the truth, but then it finds ways to upend all theories and move the story in new directions. Much like its predecessor, Searching , which starred John Cho , it’s a great mystery , and everything coalesces in thrilling fashion in the third act.

Given the number of red herrings and misleads in the movie, it’s understandable if you get a bit lost or don’t understand something – and it’s in recognition of this that we put together an explainer. In this feature, we’ll both break down the ending of Missing and dig into the circumstances that led to the disappearance of June’s mother, Grace (Nia Long).

What Happens At The End Of Missing

The beginning of the end of Missing can be pinpointed to the moment that an unexpected visitor shows up at the front door of the Allen household. Though June has long thought that her father, James (Tim Griffin), was dead, it turns out that her mother had been lying to her. For a moment it seems like perhaps Grace is the villain of the piece… but that idea quickly evaporates when June realizes that James and Kevin (Ken Leung) met while they were incarcerated in the same prison. Realizing that his daughter is figuring everything out, he abducts her and takes her to his father’s house.

It’s there that June and Grace end up reuniting, but they still find themselves trapped by James, who is holding them hostage with a gun. Using the smart watch she found, June is able to log into WhatsApp and call Javi (Joaquim de Almeida), but their connection is lost before she can give him their address. James barges in, takes the watch, and shoots Grace – but she is able to use a piece of broken mirror to stab him in the neck. Bleeding profusely, James locks the mother and daughter in a room together and goes to his computer to try and find a local hospital, but he dies at his keyboard.

Being in a locked room with her mother, who is bleeding heavily from a gunshot to the abdomen, June begins to panic as she tries to think of a way to escape and get help… and then she is struck by inspiration when she thinks of one of Grace’s funny habits: overusing Siri. June remembers that she left her iPhone in front of her laptop, which was open and logged into James’ audio and video security system when she was kidnapped. She calls to Siri and the police arrive on time to save Grace – which is then dramatized for an episode of the fictional Netflix true crime series, Unreality.

The How And Why Behind Grace Allen's Abduction

Obviously, the ending reveals that it was James who was behind Grace Allen’s disappearance, and he might have pulled it off had it not been for his resourceful daughter – but how exactly did the whole plan work? Allow us to break it down.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

While June was raised believing that her father died of cancer when she was young, the truth is that he was an abusive drug addict who went to prison after Grace gave the cops a possession of narcotics tip. James was sentenced to 10 years, and because he promised revenge, Grace moved with June to Los Angeles and their names were legally changed.

As alluded to earlier, it was during his stay in prison that James ended up meeting Kevin, who was a con artist arrested for extortion. Together they hatched the scheme that would allow the antagonist to get payback against the woman who turned him in to the police.

Following their release, James and Kevin tracked Grace down and the latter went about seducing her via a dating app. When the two of them grew close enough, plans were made for a vacation to Colombia. Pretending to be an Uber driver taking the couple to the airport, James abducted Grace, brought her to his father’s old house, and locked her up in the backyard toolshed.

To throw everybody off James’ trail following the abduction, a lookalike actress was hired to pretend to be Grace and travel with Kevin to Colombia (the couple sending misleading texts and images to June from Kevin’s phone). While in Central America, a fake kidnapping was staged with hired actors in order to try and explain what had happened to June’s mother during the vacation.

The performers were all deemed innocents who had been duped about the existence of a reality show, but unfortunately for Kevin, he wasn’t provided an exit strategy once authorities started searching for him. When they caught up with him, they ended up killing him – which was unfortunate for June, because he could have potentially given James up to the authorities and helped bring an earlier end to the case.

James was able to spy on June during her investigation thanks to security cameras and spyware installed by Kevin. This is what gave him a head start on getting to Heather (Amy Landecker), who was Grace’s lawyer and knew the truth that had been hidden from June, but obviously that bit of thinking ahead didn’t ultimately stop the teenager from figuring out his criminal plot and rescuing her mom. The punishment for his scheme ends up being death, and infamy courtesy of a documentary streaming series.

Missing is now playing in theaters (get tickets to local theaters via Fandango ), and it's earning critical acclaim . To learn about all of the films that are presently scheduled to be released in the next 12 months – both on the big screen and on streaming – be sure to check out our 2023 movie release calendar .

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.

Critics Have Seen Cuckoo, And They Agree The ‘Trippy, Deranged’ Horror Movie’s Title Is Quite Appropriate

Anne Hathaway Shouts Out The Princess Diaries 2 As It Turns 20, And I Have Honestly Never Felt Older

NCIS Is Almost Back, Baby, As Wilmer Valderrama And Sean Murray Celebrate After Return To Set

Most Popular

• 2 'He Looks Like The Antichrist And That's What I Like Most About Him:' Fans Are Sharing Their Unconventional Celebrity Crushes And Why They Can't Get Enough
• 3 Critics Have Seen Cuckoo, And They Agree The ‘Trippy, Deranged’ Horror Movie’s Title Is Quite Appropriate
• 4 Fans Are Wondering If Selena Gomez Is Engaged To Benny Blanco For One Very Specific Reason
• 5 Anne Hathaway Shouts Out The Princess Diaries 2 As It Turns 20, And I Have Honestly Never Felt Older

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Prepare Your Kids for School After a Summer of Screen Time

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Common sense media reviewers.

Graphic portrayal of dictatorship's abuses is unforgettable.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

While painting a bleak portrait of American foreig

Ed Horman stops at nothing to find out the truth a

The human rights abuses of a right-wing South Amer

Beth Horman freely discusses the sex life between

Some language, including "s--t," "f--ker."

While not promoting these products -- seeing how t

Characters are shown drinking beer, whiskey, and w

Parents need to know that Missing is the story of a father's search for his missing son after a right-wing coup in a South American country. There is violence in the form of gunshots and dead bodies, but unlike most violent films, the violence isn't intended to heighten action, but to underscore the deeper…

Positive Messages

While painting a bleak portrait of American foreign policy and of bureaucracy in general, the film shows perseverance in pursuit of the truth and in the face of tremendous difficulties.

Positive Role Models

Ed Horman stops at nothing to find out the truth about his missing son Charles, even as he confronts endless government red tape and outright lying. Beth Horman risks her life attempting to find out the truth about what happened to her husband Charles. Charles Horman is an idealistic writer working for social and economic justice in Chile.

Violence & Scariness

The human rights abuses of a right-wing South American dictatorship are graphically presented in this film. The city in which the characters live is filled with the echoes of gunshots. There is blood on the street, dead bodies covered in blood. A dead body floats down a river. In a stadium, dead bodies fill the rooms.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Beth Horman freely discusses the sex life between her and Charles with Charles's father Ed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

While not promoting these products -- seeing how the film discusses how these corporations played a large role in the CIA-backed coup that placed a right-wing dictatorship in power -- the Texaco, Coca-Cola, and Ford logos are shown prominently.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters are shown drinking beer, whiskey, and wine, but do not act intoxicated.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Missing is the story of a father's search for his missing son after a right-wing coup in a South American country. There is violence in the form of gunshots and dead bodies, but unlike most violent films, the violence isn't intended to heighten action, but to underscore the deeper point of human rights abuses in a regime brought to power by the United States. By following Ed's discovery of what his government has been getting up to in a country where his son has been living, American foreign policy and the cruelties of dictatorships are brought into full focus. For parents familiar with American involvement in Latin America during the Cold War (and before), this film should provoke discussion about what government leaders say as opposed to what their governments actually do, and for families unfamiliar with this ugly chapter in South American history, Missing should prove a real eye-opener. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Charles Horman is an idealistic young American writer living in a South American country with his wife Beth ( Sissy Spacek ). When a right-wing dictatorship takes over the country, thousands are arrested and taken prisoner, among them Charles. Charles's father Ed ( Jack Lemmon ) is a conservative businessman who, after receiving no cooperation from his senator and the State Department in America, flies to Chile to track down his son. What he discovers are terrible human rights abuses and his own growing disillusionment with a government and country he had always strongly believed in, as it becomes more and more clear that the American government -- in the name of "national interests" -- is complicit in supporting the dictatorship responsible for kidnapping his son.

Is It Any Good?

This indelible film is equal parts murder mystery and study of American involvement in the installation of a right-wing dictatorship in Chile in 1973. Through Ed's point-of-view (brought to life by the great Jack Lemmon), we learn the truth behind the lies of politicians speaking of championing "freedom" and "democracy" abroad. Ed's bureaucratic nightmare becomes our bureaucratic nightmare -- Kafkaesque in its absurdity -- and the film personalizes the politics of the situation by making this the story of a father trying to find his missing son.

Ed's disillusionment with his government becomes our disillusionment, as Ed learns that the interests of multi-national corporations trump freedom and liberty. While perhaps some might find this to be a bit too heavy-handed or preachy, research into American Cold War involvement in Chile in the early 1970s will show that this film stays true to actual events. While films rooted in distrust of government often feel cynical as a matter of course, the difference in Missing is that the film is rooted in a deeper idealism -- be it Charles's belief in economic justice, or Ed's unstoppable search for the truth.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in this film. What is the purpose of the violence portrayed? How does it underscore the message of the film?

Ed goes through profound changes over the course of the movie. How is his character presented early in the film, and what actions cause him to evolve?

What is film's role in politics? Can filmmakers use art for positive change? What about negative change? Or should film be purely for entertainment?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 27, 1982
• On DVD or streaming : October 21, 2008
• Cast : Jack Lemmon , Melanie Mayron , Sissy Spacek
• Director : Costa-Gavras
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Criterion Collection
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : History
• Run time : 122 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
• Last updated : June 20, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

The Ides of March

A Ripple of Hope

Biopic movies, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Missing (2023) - Blu-ray + Digital Review

Since Marvel , DC , Godzilla , Conjuring , Spider-Man , and others have their own cinematic universes these days, it should be no surprise that even the Screenlife genre is now gaining its own universe of sorts. It’s a brand of filmmaking where all of a film’s events are shown on the screen of a computer, tablet, or smart phone via FaceTime calls, texting in messenger apps, and the like.

Surprisingly, when done right, it can be a fascinating way to tell a story. Particularly in today’s technology-driven society. 2018’s Searching was a perfect example. In fact, the editors of that film, Will Merrick and Nick Johnson , who were integral to its success, write and direct a loose sequel to the film called Missing , a wild roller coaster of a mystery which utilizes the same visual language to tell the story of the disappearance of a young teenager’s mother while vacationing in Columbia.

The film opens to a FaceTime conversation between 18-year-old June ( Storm Reid, A Wrinkle in Time ) and her mother, Grace ( Nia Long, Big Momma’s House ) who is tying up loose ends before heading out on a vacay with new boyfriend, Kevin ( Ken Leung ). Naturally, the teen is paying little attention to the details of her mother’s instructions, as she has an alternate online conversation going on with friends who are setting up a party to pop off at June’s house as soon as Mom heads out.

June will come to regret her negligence when she discovers that her mom and Kevin never arrive back at the airport after their trip. With loads of international red tape, and little help from the Columbian government or American attachés, June tasks herself – along with the aid of a P.I.-for-hire named Javi ( Joaquim de Almeida, Fast Five ) – with searching for answers.

Being the savvy young teen she is, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to tackle the mystery. Before long, June, and the audience, are led down a twisty-turny rabbit hole of secrets and deceit. And we have a blast following the trail of breadcrumbs and red herrings.

The most amazing thing about this method of storytelling is how fascinating it can be to watch the film’s story play out on apps, websites, ring cameras, and computer screens. Credit goes to Merrick and Johnson who have cracked the code on keeping us engaged via such an impersonal medium. It doesn’t necessarily play out in real time, but we never see any of the action or actors directly in front of the camera. It’s all either on a computer or phone screen. And, at times, we might be watching one screen that is pointed at another.

The plot, though often preposterous with more holes than Swiss cheese, is surprisingly fast-paced and engaging while remaining fairly easy to keep up with. Missing though – pun intended – is the reality of wi-fi and cellular service deficiencies. As the clock ticks down on trying to uncover the mystery, we never once encounter a spinning beach ball or rotating hour glass. How’s that for preposterous?

It’s not all cold technology and gadgetry though. Merrick and Johnson bake into their story some nice themes about human connection and familial love. At the film’s center is a heartfelt story about family, longing, and dealing with regret. Many of the characters manage to punch through the screen of whatever device we are watching them on, and hit us with true personality and character. One such example comes when the heartbreak of June’s father’s death when she was a baby, is paralleled by the estrangement of Javi and his son.

There’s a high degree of difficulty in pulling off these "device films," and one wonders just how long the sub-genre will last. With Searching having already set a $75 million worldwide precedent, Missing has its work cut out. But for now, count me in. I’m learning how social media and technology can save my life.

Home Video Distributor: Sony Pictures Available on Blu-ray - March 28, 2023 Screen Formats: 1.85:1 Subtitles : English; English SDH; French; Spanish Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Sony Pictures shows up with a nice little Blu-ray + Digital edition of its Screenlife thriller which includes a lot of extra features including a feature-length commentary track with the filmmakers.

This is a tough one. There's not a whole lot to say about the picture quality here, as all of the film's footage is meant to be second generation, shot from a computer, iPhone, or security camera screen. Imagery is purposefully rough, or digitized so it mimics the source material.

Even so, many scenes – particularly ones meant to mimic a large computer screen – are sharp and bright. There are moments of grain, digital noise, and extreme digitization, but again, the technique is purposeful.

We would be very surprised if the film is released on the 4K UHD format as it simply wouldn't benefit from the quality and resolution bump.

The same goes for the audio portion of the release. The blu-ray presentation comes with an admirable DTS-HD 5.1 MA track. There are some directional effects when a screen is shown from the side of the room, for instance, but all-in-all, it's simply not going to kick your system in the pants. Not the transfer's fault, just limitation due to the type of move Missing is.

Included are a French and English language Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks.

Supplements:

Here's where this release shines. Included are five bonus pieces totaling nearly 30 minutes, a handful of deleted scenes, and a captivating filmmakers' commentary. Fans of the film will appreciate this bonus material

Commentary :

• Filmmaker Commentary with writers & directors Will Merrick and Nick Johnson and producer Natalie Qasabian

Special Features:

Hunting for the MISSING Easter Eggs

Deleted Scenes

Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes:

Storm Reid and the Challenge of MISSING

Misdirects, Online Crimes and the Social Media Mystery

The Screens that Rule Our Lives

MPAA Rating: PG-13. Runtime: 111 mins Director : Nicholas D. Johnson; Will Merrick Writer: Nicholas D. Johnson; Will Merrick Cast: Nia Long; Storm Reid; Ken Leung Genre : Drama | Thriller Tagline: No one disappears without a trace. Memorable Movie Quote: Theatrical Distributor: Sony Official Site: Release Date: February 3, 2023 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 28, 2023 Synopsis : After her mother goes missing, a young woman tries to find her from home, using tools available to her online.

New in Theaters/VOD

New on Home Video

• Sony Says "No" to Free 3D Glasses
• Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet The Amazing Spider-man!
• Missing in Action: Collector's Edition (1984) - Blu-ray Review
• Searching for Sugar Man - Blu-ray Review
• Gone Baby Gone - DVD Review

Movie Trailers

• Trailer Watch - SLINGSHOT (2024)
• Trailer Watch - PACHINKO - Season Two
• Trailer Watch - KNOCK OUT BLONDE: THE KELLY MALONEY STORY
• Trailer Watch - THE BECOMERS
• Trailer Watch - GENEVIEVE BURNS

Movie Reviews

Morbidly Hollywood

• Colorado Street Suicide Bridge
• Death of a Princess - The Story of Grace Kelly's Fatal Car Crash
• Joaquin Phoenix 911 Call - River Phoenix - Viper Room
• Screen Legend Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79
• Suicide and the Hollywood Sign - The Girl Who Jumped from the Hollywood Sign
• The Amityville Horror House
• The Black Dahlia Murder - The Death of Elizabeth Short
• The Death of Actress Jane Russell
• The Death of Brandon Lee
• The Death of Chris Farley
• The Death of Dominique Dunne
• The Death of George Reeves - the Original Superman

• Cast & crew

I Thought My Husband's Wife Was Dead

After 5 years of being missing and officially declared dead, a homeless Tori tracks down her husband, Leo, only to learn he is now married to Lola and expecting a baby. Soon, everyone's live... Read all After 5 years of being missing and officially declared dead, a homeless Tori tracks down her husband, Leo, only to learn he is now married to Lola and expecting a baby. Soon, everyone's lives are upturned. After 5 years of being missing and officially declared dead, a homeless Tori tracks down her husband, Leo, only to learn he is now married to Lola and expecting a baby. Soon, everyone's lives are upturned.

• Tamara Gregory
• LeToya Luckett
• Sherilyn Allen
• Jamall Johnson
• 3 Critic reviews

Top cast 13

• (as Angela 'Blac Chyna' White)

• (as Steven Dhillon)

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

User reviews

• August 3, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Lifetime Films
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 30 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

More From Forbes

The ‘borderlands’ movie debuts with a 0% on rotten tomatoes.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Borderlands

I’m not sure I knew of anyone, Borderlands fan or not, who believed that the movie adaptation of the game was going to be good, based on everything from casting to trailers. Now as reviews come in ahead of its release tomorrow, those fears have been validated. And then some.

As I write this, the Borderlands movie has a flat 0% on Rotten Tomatoes . No positive reviews whatsoever ( Update : A single positive review has come in raising it to a 3%), and the ones that are in are not just negative, but brutal . Here’s a sampling:

• Discussing Film: “The fans deserve a lot better than whatever director Eli Roth is trying to do with Borderlands. This is the video game movie curse at its worst.”
• Men’s Journal: “If Borderlands doesn't stop studio executives from salivating at the sight of every single IP that comes across their desks, nothing will.”
• Next Best Picture : “It’s impressive how Roth can elicit the poor quality of 2000s video game adaptation energy yet somehow forget the discernable sense of fun or style that made even those terrible movies stand out.”
• IGN : “Borderlands is an abysmal waste of a beloved franchise that takes a kooky band of murderous misfits and drains the life out of their first adventure together.”

It’s true there are not many reviews in yet, and the score may tick up, but everything I’ve seen outside of some video game influencers who attended premieres (or are literally extras in the movie) has been relentlessly negative, and I would be surprised to find more than a handful of positive reviews come in when all is said and done. If any.

The Best Gaming Mouse That’ll Improve Your Aim

A 0% on Rotten Tomatoes is of course as low as you can go. If we are looking at the worst-scored video game movies ever made, that list would now be (Updated list with the 4%):

• Alone in the Dark (2005) – 1%
• Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009) – 3%
• House of the Dead (2003) – 3%
• Borderlands (2024) – 3%
• In the Name of the King (2007) – 4%
• Bloodrayne (2005) – 4%
• Mortal Kombat Annihilation- 4%
• Silent Hill Revelation (2012) – 8%
• Hitman Agent: 47 (2015) – 8%
• Postal (2007) – 9%

I put the year there so you can see that most of these ultra-terrible ones are in a decade or so when making a good video game adaptation was borderline impossible and the only people trying were directors like Uwe Boll half the time. As of late, we have seen very solid live action video game adaptations on both film (Sonic) and TV (The Last of Us, Fallout), and Borderlands seems to be a 10-15 year step backward.

I do expect it to rise above a zero percent. There are so many critics on Rotten Tomatoes of questionable quality and taste that probably someone will like it and knock it above some of these (I am one of those critics, so no judgement), but that has not happened at the time of this writing.

Who saw this coming? Everyone. Everyone did. And here we are.

Follow me on Twitter , YouTube , and Instagram .

Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

Advertisement

Supported by

6 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week

Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or an avid buff, our reviewers think these films are worth knowing about. (Though one missing movie, “Trap,” was not screened early for critics.)

• Share full article

By The New York Times

Coloring inside the lines.

‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’

Directed by Carlos Saldanha, this adaptation of the children's book of the same name follows Harold (Zachary Levi) with the magical purple crayon that brings his drawings to life as he encounters adulthood and the real world.

From our review:

There’s a standard-issue single mom (Zooey Deschanel, whose visible exhaustion here is actually a little too credible) and her boy, Mel (Benjamin Bottani), whose life is in need of wonder. This wonder will arrive through a tool of “pure imagination” (they really say that!). That is, Harold’s purple crayon, whose concoctions add some not-insubstantial visual interest to the proceedings. One scene in a department store, in which an actual puma and a too-functional kid’s helicopter ride contribute some anarchic slapstick, is a keeper. But it might have been better still as contrived by Terry Gilliam. Or Edgar Wright. Or Spike Jonze.

In theaters. Read the full review .

In a pandemic, don’t kiss the chef.

During the 1918 influenza outbreak, a family led by the liberal journalist Jay (Billy Magnussen), hires a new chef Floyd Monk (Peter Sarsgaard), who disrupts the peace of their remote island estate in this satire from Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman.

As Monk lifts the veil enshrouding the estate’s hierarchy, he also emasculates Jay in the eyes of the household. This implication that virility trumps effeteness is, amid an otherwise straightforward comedy, an uncomfortably regressive way to tell the story of how people vie for power in hard times.

A gut punch from a refreshing angle.

‘rob peace’.

In this coming-of-age drama directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rob Peace (Jay Will) is torn between his studies at Yale and the legal troubles of his father (played by Ejiofor).

The cinematographer Ksenia Sereda adheres to a blend of low angle shots and varying close-ups, and the visuals help imbue Rob with power and vulnerability in equal measure. While the persistent voice-over of Rob reading his graduate school personal essay as narration seems tacked on rather than poignant, all told, the movie delivers a well-earned emotional gut punch that refreshingly does not come from perpetuating the physical and systemic violence it aims to shed light upon.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

Where Is Kelly Ripa? 'Live' Co-Host Missing From Today's Episode

11 Best New Movies on Netflix: August 2024's Freshest Films to Watch

'Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles' Star Josh Flagg Gives Update On His...

Kora's Scars in the 'Rebel Moon: Director's Cut' Sex Scenes Were Sofia...

11 Best New Shows on Netflix: August 2024's Top Upcoming Series to Watch

'RHONJ' Fans Slam Teresa Giudice's "Cruel" Husband Louie Ruelas For...

New On Netflix August 2024, Plus What’s Coming Next

New On Disney+ July 2024

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘One Fast Move’ on Prime Video, an Underdog Sports Movie Starring ‘Riverdale’ Hunk KJ Apa

Where to stream:.

• One Fast Move

‘Riverdale’ Was Always A Show About Death

What did jughead mean by “sometimes” in the ‘riverdale’ series finale, betty and archie’s ‘riverdale’ series finale moment proves barchie is endgame, if you want them to be, which couples were endgame on ‘riverdale’.

You’ve seen many underdog sports movies , but what about a motorcycle-racing one starring Riverdale guy KJ Apa’s shredded abs? One Fast Move (now on Amazon Prime Video) shaves the redhead off the one-time Archie Andrews, drops him on a crotch rocket (after doing a zillion situps) and prays that that’s enough to get you to mash the play button. The movie’s banking on Apa as a headliner, because otherwise, it offers us McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy , a gruff old-timer turn from Edward James Olmos and the type of fast-track racing action that struggles to differentiate itself from the rest of the sports-flick pack.  

ONE FAST MOVE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: PSA: If you’re participating in an illegal motorcycle street race and the cops bust you, don’t try to outrun them. You’ll end up in the clink. So why does Wes Neal (Apa) try to do exactly that? Because it’d be a very unexciting opening to a movie if he just jumped off and let ’em cuff him. Six months later, he gets out of military prison with a dishonorable discharge in his back pocket and the only thing he can say is, “When can I get my bike back?” He LIVES to motorcycle around on a motorcycle, preferably at high speeds. There’s nothing back there for him – wherever there is, because nobody wrote that part of the screenplay – so he goes over yonder – wherever yonder is, because nobody bothered to write that part either – to track down the father who abandoned him while he was still in the womb. Does he have issues about this? Oh boy does he!

And so we meet Dean (Eric Dane of Euphoria ), the hard-partying pops that Wes never had. For the past 20-odd years, Dean’s been going around in circles, literally and metaphorically. Lots of motorcycle races, not many wins. And his back is effed up, to boot. He still races, but mostly he works at the speed shop owned by Abel (Olmos) and spends his evenings boozin’ and scorin’ with the ladies. Funny how Wes is a chip off the ol’ block even though he’s never even seen the ol’ block before, right? Wes shows up on Dean’s doorstep all hot and scruffy, and Dean sees an opportunity to chase a bit of secondhand glory – the type of glory he never reached as a third-rate racer. But first, Dean has to indulge the cliches of this particular brand of storytelling: Wes is too old to begin Jedi training. Wes needs to show What He’s Got. Wes needs to commit to this shit. Wes needs to listen to his old man, who’s been around the track many many times. And whaddayaknow, Wes not only does well in his very first race ever, but he goes out and wins the damn thing. Methinks he has What It Takes!

Amidst the manly-man scenes featuring all the racing and doing shots at the bar, Wes goes to the local diner so Camila (Maia Reficco, Pretty Little Liars ) can serve him scrambled eggs, and look really cute while doing it. She seems to like the fact that Wes doesn’t own a t-shirt without 200 holes in it – I think they’re SPEED holes, or perhaps strategically ripped to allow free emission of abs-originated pheromones – and they hit it off. Abel likes Wes, and gives him a job at the shop because he Could Use Some Help Sweepin’ Up Around Here. And everything’s just ducky until it isn’t, since there are daddy issues to be addressed, and when exactly is Wes going to tell Camila that he’s an ex-con? Lawd, the tension, the tension! Oh, and there has to be The Big Race at the end of the movie, because a teen comedy without a third-act prom sequence obviously isn’t worth the bandwidth to stream it. 

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: One Fast Move shows little interest in deviating from the Rocky formula, as applied to the racetrack-drama formula we saw in Days of Thunder and the like.

Performance Worth Watching: Speaking of Rocky , you can’t help but appreciate Olmos in the Burgess Meredith role here – except Olmos nicely underplays instead of letting ’er rip.

Memorable Dialogue: Dean speaks in metaphors: “It’s either full throttle or full brakes, and everything in-between is for pussies.”

Sex and Skin: One semi-steamy sex scene with a bit of mutual male/female toplessness.

Our Take: Those who insist there is nothing new under the sun will find affirmation in One Fast Move , which doggedly adheres to the creeds and customs of the genre. Something I’ve learned as a fan of pro sports is, they require a degree of precision and attention to detail that sports movies often choose not to explore. They’re often bland and toothless like this one, which takes barely a passing glance at the inherent danger of motorcycle racing, and shows little interest in earning its emotional catharsis. 

Think about it. Wes is doing treacherous stuff here: He straddles a machine that goes 200 mph and puts nothing between his body and the pavement. He confronts the father who never wanted him. And he opens himself up emotionally to a woman who might reject him for his rough-and-tumble ways. This is decent-enough dramatic fodder, but the film doesn’t define its characters beyond bromidic templates of sports-film formulae, and the result is a frustratingly shallow experience. The opportunity is ripe for high-stakes drama, but the film is content to zoom by this stuff like roadside scenery, and banks on the attractiveness of Apa and Reficco to fuel its romantic chemistry instead of, you know, actually writing characters with any distinctive qualities. 

The plot sets up Dean as a villain of sorts, a selfish opportunist and Bad Advice Dad with a massive ego, across from Wes’ angsty angst-ridden angstiness, but they’re both generic and underwritten, boilerplate arcs showing little interest in defying cliches. You will not be surprised to learn that Abel and Camila are positive forces in Wes’ life, but they can’t offer the rush and thrills and potential for motorcycle-based glory that toxic Dean does – so Wes follows the trail of psychotherapeutic bread crumbs right into the mouth of despair. Until he doesn’t, of course. The underlying theme here is that Wes needs to get the feel of racing with a pro bike on a pro track, and he can’t do that until he sheds his many burdens – the weight of his bad-boy past, the burdens Dean foists upon him, his tendency to think too much while racing instead of just racing. This is admittedly a rather generous reading of the text; in truth, the movie doesn’t go any deeper than a quarter-inch puddle in the oil pan. 

Our Call: SKIP IT. One Fast Move circles the same old sports-flick track, round and round, round and round.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

• Prime Video
• Stream It Or Skip It

$12 Million Settlement Awarded To Customers Duped In House-Flipping Seminar Linked To HGTV's Tarek El Moussa, Christina Hall, Hilary Farr

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date, Streaming Info, And More

Where Is Kelly Ripa? 'Live' Co-Host Missing From Today's Episode

Kora's Scars in the 'Rebel Moon: Director's Cut' Sex Scenes Were Sofia Boutella's Idea: "I Asked Zack If It Would Be OK"

Is Kelly Ripa Sick? Where Was Kelly Ripa This Morning On 'Live'?

What Channel Is 'Monday Night Raw' On Tonight? How To Watch Tonight's 'RAW' Live

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors.

Now streaming on:

Once you get over the fact that there won’t be much resembling logical human behavior in “Detained,” the film that follows undeniably provides its own simple pleasures in the Goofy Escapism department. Heavily inspired by “ The Usual Suspects ,” right down to the inclusion of a mysterious villain who might be in the room with us, “Detained” has so many twists and turns that it’s difficult to be overly critical of one before the next one has had a chance to rattle expectations. Yes, this is an undeniably dumb movie about dumb people. But there’s something charming about its single-setting stupidity, dropping a bunch of idiots in an impossible situation and bouncing them off each other until most of them are dead.

The great Abbie Cornish (who gives one of my most underrated performances in Jane Campion ’s “ Bright Star ”) stars as Rebecca Kamen, a woman who wakes up in police custody … maybe. From the opening scenes of “Detained,” it’s pretty obvious that something’s not quite right with the set-up, even though my brain couldn’t quite wrap itself around whether or not this was just a bad movie or an obvious set-up. While this might be a bit spoiler-y, it happens early enough and is telegraphed completely enough that I feel it’s safe to reveal that Rebecca is not in your usual precinct. There’s something much darker going on.

When Rebecca comes to, she’s told that she was involved with a hit and run that may have resulted in the death of a cyclist – one of the things that seems not to make sense is a strident interrogation of a woman who was too blackout drunk to remember if she got into a car accident. Still, it's just one of several times you'll have to suspend disbelief to enjoy this one. It feels like there would be other ways to prove if she did or not. Before Rebecca can ask this kind of question, she’s been thrown in a holding cell with another woman (Josephine Lindegaard) and an older junkie ( Silas Weir Mitchell ). A scuffle leads to a gunshot, which leads to an attempt on Rebecca’s part to use money to make it all go away. Before Rebecca can successfully pay off what she thinks is her investigating officer, the curtain falls and it becomes clear that this is all a truly ludicrous con game, one orchestrated by a man named Avery ( Laz Alonso of “The Boys”) who may be working for or may actually be a legendary villain named Keyser Soze – wait, I mean Jovan. You get the idea.

It may be my theatre background, but I’m kind of a sucker for a single-setting thriller, one that develops personalities and then pushes them into each other, something pops. A key element for the successful versions of this concept is a cast that understands the assignment, and director/co-writer Felipe Mucci found that here. Alonso is having fun in ways that I honestly wish his Prime Video hit would allow more often, but what works is the variety in the extended group of “Ridiculous Suspects,” including Moon Bloodgood as a tough-talking detective and the great Justin H. Min (“ After Yang ”) as Rebecca’s alleged attorney. Low-budget films like “Detained” often end up with mediocre casts, but this one is surprisingly sharp, with a group of performers having a good time with their ludicrous concept and hoping you will too.

Near the end, after all the chaos has unfolded, there’s a soundbite of someone saying, “Not entirely clear on the motive either.” I laughed out loud. Yes, “Detained” makes almost no sense if someone thinks about its too many twists and turns, and there’s an undeniably tighter, more stylish version of this movie that rounds off a few of those sharp edges into something grittier and more realistic. And yet there’s almost something refreshing about a B-movie that embraces its B-movieness. It may not be “The Usual Suspects,” but “The Usual Idiots” is pretty fun too.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Now playing

The Girl in the Pool

Marya e. gates.

Glenn Kenny

My Spy The Eternal City

Christy lemire.

Matt Zoller Seitz

It Ends with Us

A Family Affair

Film credits.

Detained (2024)

Abbie Cornish as Rebecca Kamen

Laz Alonso as Detective Avery

John Patrick Amedori as Robert Audrey

Justin H. Min as Isaac Barsi

Josefine Lindegaard as Jess

• Felipe Mucci
• Jeremy Palmer

Latest blog posts

On the Trail: India Donaldson on Good One

The Texture of Night: How Collateral Revolutionized Movies

SDCC 2024: Activations, Apes and Other Animals

Short Films in Focus: Welcome to the Enclave