The screenlife genre returns to the big screen with “Missing,” a standalone sequel to “Searching,” complete with new directors and an entirely new cast of characters. The film’s pacing never slows, with a new plot twist arriving every few minutes and constant comedic relief breaking the tension of the rather serious subject matter. However, at times, “Missing” seems too focused on proving that a screenlife film can be just as exciting as a traditional thriller and forgets to linger on the important moments. The final product is a jumble of shocking twists with no emotional resonance: far less inventive and far more forgettable than the predecessor.
The film follows 18-year-old June, played by Storm Reid, and her mother Grace, played by the incomparable Nia Long. The mother-daughter duo have a strained relationship following the death of June’s father and the beginning of Grace’s relationship with new boyfriend Kevin, played by Ken Leung. When Grace and Kevin go missing while on vacation in Colombia, June takes it upon herself to find her mother and ends up uncovering the truth of her mother’s past and her own. The mother-daughter relationship between June and Grace is the emotional heart of the film, and it’s unfortunate that it often takes a backseat in order for the next contrived plot beat to play out.
Joaquim de Almeida, a Portuguese actor who previously appeared in the Fast and Furious Franchise, gives a standout performance as Javier, a Colombian man whom June hires to investigate her mother’s disappearance while the police investigation stalls. Reid, whom viewers may recognize as Rue’s little sister in “Euphoria” is excellent as the film’s lead, and Long, who doesn’t appear much in the film’s beginning half, pulls off an incredible performance in the film’s climactic scene.
Credit must be given for the film’s inventive format. “Screenlife” is a relatively new genre. It refers to films set entirely on a technological interface, such as a phone or computer screen. Although it isn’t the first film in the screenlife genre, “Missing” takes advantage of the desktop premise for a variety of visual gags that will appeal to both younger viewers and older generations (who may relate to the struggles of the older characters to adapt to new technology). However, in a format with so many possibilities, “Missing” seems to play it safe. The majority of the movie happens over FaceTime or text, with the more action-packed scenes coming through security camera feed. It works well enough that the format doesn’t take the viewers out of the story, but there is a lot of potential left unexplored. Some aspects, such as June using the “forgot password” function to get into locked accounts rather than having to search for the password, feel like cop-outs that make her already outlandish amateur detective work less believable. For all of its efforts to prove itself, “Missing” doesn’t make any compelling argument for why the screenlife genre bears any merit over a traditional film. At times, this format feels like an obstacle that the film must work around rather than a unique aspect that enhances it.
“Missing” is a sequel to a thoughtful, inventive film that attempts to recycle all of its predecessor’s elements into something that is naturally less thoughtful and inventive the second time around. The current industry saturation with sequels and franchises isn’t always a bad thing, but a problem arises when filmmakers aim only to recreate the success of the original rather than aiming to outdo it with the sequel. “Missing” is not a bad film. It’s engaging, fast-paced, and funny, with commendable acting throughout. It’s performing well at the box office, earning $19 million dollars off of a $7 million dollar budget, and receiving a fairly positive critical reception. Still, none of these successes negate the fact that it’s simply not as good as “Searching.” Is it better to have a formulaic sequel that reuses the successful elements of its predecessor than a new idea that may not have guaranteed success? For some viewers, the answer may be yes. For companies, it is resoundingly so.
Written by Naomi Scissors of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo courtesy of Prokerala