In this Japanese drama film, a little girl goes missing while walking down the street, causing outrage. However, when no one is able to locate her even after 3 months, her family comes under vicious public scrutiny for their part in the harrowing ordeal. As her mother grapples with the guilt and heartbreak of the unknown, the movie showcases the part that the media and the judiciary have to play and the toll it takes on the family of the missing child.
Written and directed by Yoshida Keisuke, the film has a runtime of 120 minutes.
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Missing Movie Cast
Satomi Ishihara, Munetaka Aoki, Yusaku Mori, Tsugumi Arita, Karin Ono, Kazushige Komatsu, Gaku Hosokawa, Shinsuke Kato, Naohiro Yamamoto, Yurei Yanagi, Jun Miho, Tomoya Nakamura
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Missing 2024 Movie Original Title
ミッシング
Missing Movie Review
Missing is a slow and frustrating descent into madness for a family whose daughter got kidnapped one evening. The frustration and hopelessness reign supreme throughout the movie’s runtime and it never lets up for a minute. Saori’s anguish is terrifying to witness because it is so raw and genuine – Satomi Ishihara is fantastic in the movie and her performance never goes overboard. The script grounds these characters so well that the characters feel real. Although the initial frenzy of missing their daughter has passed, the desperation of the family is still evident. The characters are never overly dramatic and extreme, that makes them so easy to root for.
While the point of finding Miu soars over everyone and everything like a black cloud, the movie also makes it a point to showcase how it affects Saori and Yutaka’s marriage. The latter, as a character, is more reserved but it’s not like he doesn’t love or miss Miu. His restrained emotions will affect audiences deeply. The marriage, in the midst of this turmoil, suffers greatly but it’s genuinely sweet to watch the two of them supporting and understanding each other despite the awful reality of their lives. As Saori goes deeper into her own feelings of inadequacy and blame, made worse by online public opinions, the audience is pushed more and more into a suffocating scenario from where escape seems impossible.
Then there’s Miu’s uncle Keigo, played by Yusaku Mori, who continues to be a questionable presence in all of this. It’s frustrating to no end watching him fumbling with his words as his niece’s life is in danger. The movie does a good job of balancing these different points of interest in a way that feels grounded and realistic but also very emotionally exhausting. The fantastic performances from the entire cast just add to the rawness of the experience of watching the film – it’s clear that they gave it their all, especially Satomi Ishihara.
However, viewers might find the movie a bit slow and sometimes hopeless. It’s quite distressing to watch and makes you feel so odd, especially with how desperate Saori gets the more the runtime moves forward. Plus, there’s no talk of any kidnapper throughout the watch time, leaving us wondering what actually happened to the poor girl and making us feel even more disheartened. Although there are moments of relief and hope, the overwhelming feeling of sadness is relentless and can be exhausting after a while.
Final Thoughts
Satomi Ishihara is simply fantastic in Missing. Every minute is excruciating and so suffocating to watch. The situation seems helpless and hopeless and the different story points coming together to deliver this realistic and horrifying situation makes for a thrilling and emotional watch through and through.
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