Missing Review - Another Fine Thriller In The Screenlife Mystery Franchise

jWill Merrick and Nick Johnson's Missing is finally here as a standalone sequel to Aneesh Chaganty's pathbreaking thriller, Searching (2018). Missing literally follows all the tantrums of Searching with a swipe in characters and twist. Changanty's flick had an advanced structure, which was new at the time. Missing, being an honest follow-up, blindly follows the same structure with a few advanced technologies from current times. The thrilling factors are somewhat similar, or rather less so because the climax isn't that surprising with a few old cliches. I might go for a happy ending, but some things have to change with time, no?Missing's plot follows June Allen (Storm Reid), a teenager who lives with her mother, Grace (Nia Long). Grace and James (Tim Griffin) have been separated for years, and now she has a new boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung). June is left home for the weekend by Grace and Kevin, who go on a vacation in Colombia, but things start getting worse here. On Monday morning, June finds out that her mother and Kevin have left everything back at the hotel. June tries to find her missing mother with the help of Agent Park (Daniel Henney). Will her search be of any good? Missing won't miss it for you.Missing lacks originality at its core, as it feels wholly influenced by Searching. The surroundings, properties, thrills, and twists everything looks so familiar. Let me tell you, this doesn't count for the freshmen. The mother-daughter relationship is a bit rough considering the emotional quotient. The surprise in the climax has a connection with the past (that's not a spoiler, but you kind of expected it earlier), which isn't very plausible. In Searching, you had that mother being helpful to her abnormal son, so you understand her feelings. Here, you'll miss it. Missing's screenplay is extremely engaging. I tried to check my phone for a moment and missed one of the mysterious elements. You see, it's that pacy and intriguing.It's a performance-driven film, alright, and you'll get to see a lot of it. You won't be disappointed at all. From 12 Years a Slave to Missing, Storm Reid's growth is incredible. Watch her expressions in those thrilling segments. "Oh, my God," she sighs, and you are in her world—a teenage world that is innocent yet exciting. Nia Long is excellent, with a finely written character. Ken Leung's innocent face wins you over, and Daniel Henney is watchable with limited screen space. The surprising element is Tim Griffin, who will blow you away with his screen presence, and the character is fantastic too.Missing is simply outstanding as far as the technical aspects are concerned. The combined myth of cinematography, the background score, and the editing take you into a screenlife universe, which will get into your heads. There is no escape from this world. It's like you are locked in a room with high pressure all over and the only thing keeping you from passing out is the big screen in front of you. It's a difficult film to shoot, and the duo of Will Merrick and Nick Johnson has done a fabulous job keeping it accessible. Aneesh Chaganty's attempt created a new genre for the internet era, and Merrick-Johnson have taken it forward. Yes, if you have to compare these two films, then I would say Searching is ahead cinematically and theoretically. But, as you know, even keeping it at the level of Searching is an achievement in itself. Missing doesn't miss that, so you better not miss it.