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In this sequel to the surprisingly effective Internet thriller Searching, Missing proves to be equally effective. About a teenage girl who attempts to track down her mother who went missing in Colombia–while sitting in her house in Los Angeles–Missing has all the ups and downs you’d expect.
Essentially Searching but with a different plot, Missing requires some suspension of disbelief, but as long as you’ve bought into the concept none of that really matters. Co-writers/directors Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick, who served as editors for Searching, get us into the action quickly. The story unfolds and evolves in rapid time, throwing twists and turns and red herrings by the minute. It all makes for a compelling and entertaining mystery.
Despite all the twists and turns, if you’ve seen Searching and I assume you have, the mystery is nonetheless somewhat predictable–but that’s besides the point. Missing is the same formula with different paint; it’s fun throughout, but you’re not going to walk out of the theater going, “Wow, I absolutely didn’t see that coming!”
There are some cheesy and ridiculous moments–while Johnson and Merrick do their best to make the Internet sleuthing believable, the story ultimately begins to flex behind the confines of a computer screen. But again, if you’re someone who nitpicks movies to death, Missing may not be the movie for you.
What holds it all together is the cast, headlined by Storm Reid (“Euphoria”). Reid is terrific and helps sell the material; she’s earnest in her delivery and believable through and through. The rest of the cast, which includes Nia Long, Ken Leung, and Tim Griffin, are solid as well.
If you thought Searching was great, you’ll have just as much fun with Missing. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a fun thriller from start to finish.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.
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