Unexpected sequel 'Missing' maintains some of its predecessor's strengths
Netflix
I loved 2018’s “Searching,” in which a man played by John Cho used technology to investigate his daughter’s disappearance. Presented entirely through images captured on screens, the movie was urgent in ways that none of the ubiquitous thrillers about assassins are. Please stop making movies about assassins.
Anyway: Can’t say I expected a follow-up to “Searching” but now we have “Missing,” in which the positions are flipped and it’s June (Storm Reid) using internet sleuthing to search for her mom Grace (Nia Long), who went on vacation to Colombia with her new boyfriend (Ken Leung) and not only didn’t arrive back in L.A. but isn’t answering her phone. And Grace is very much not the kind of mom that would let June worry if something wasn’t terribly wrong.
Like “Searching,” “Missing” can be a great deal of unsettling fun as a modern amateur detective story, with June’s ingenuity (including hiring a man, played by Joaquin de Almeida, on the Colombian version of TaskRabbit to help) and an attention span-dominating editing style refusing to let the search slow down. That is, until the movie starts to go on a bit too long (its predecessor felt tighter, not to mention more memorable and better acted) and the surprises and explanations turn suspense into nonsense. Wherever the line exists between breathless entertainment and strained contrivance, “Missing” spends a decent amount of time on both sides.
It’s still nice to see something original turn into a franchise—just kidding, let’s let new ideas keep coming and resist repeating ourselves, cool?—and come across a movie that keeps us guessing while providing something in the way of technique and stakes as well. Call it “Exploring,” “Pursuing,” doesn’t matter; I’d take another one of these over another “Knives Out” any day.
B-
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