Missing (Sagasu in Japanese), the feature directorial debut of Shinzô Katayama, who also co-writes the screenplay along with Kazuhisa Kotera and Ryô Takada, is a solid and often exciting drama. The story is full of mystery, moral ambiguity, and characters that are not always who they appear to be at first. The movie offers no easy answers when it comes to its characters and the situations they find themselves in, but Missing certainly makes for a fascinating watch. With its twists and turns, compelling themes, and depth, Missing is a solid first film for Shinzô Katayama.
Missing begins with Kaede Harada (Aoi Itô), a teenager who is called to pick up her father, Santoshi, after he is caught shoplifting. Santoshi has been on a downward spiral for a while now. After the death of his wife, he has been in mourning, his business has collapsed and he is deeply in debt. Kaede has become, in many ways, the caretaker, though she berates her father for her behavior. Santoshi, however, suggests that she find the serial killer known as Unnamed (Hiroya Shimizu) in order to earn the reward money and get his life back on track. Kaede doesn't take Santoshi's plan seriously, but when she wakes up the next day with her father missing from her, she goes looking for him. The answers she finds, however, are not what she expected.
Directors: Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick
Writers: Aneesh Chaganty, Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick
Stars: Nia Long, Amy Landecker, Thomas Barbusca
Missing is an amazing movie. It starts off one way and sets audience expectations before taking a sharp turn, pulling the rug out from under viewers and leaving them questioning exactly what they're seeing. The change in direction and focus of the character, which happens at the midpoint, is well done. The film wrestles with the idea of morality and how anyone is capable of committing horrible acts against others when in certain circumstances. From his perspective, Santoshi doesn't necessarily do anything wrong; the victims who are targeted claim they want to die. Is Santoshi doing them a favor or is he helping a murderer? He is a morally ambiguous character whose desperation fuels his actions, and the film offers no concrete answers about his actions, leaving the audience to ponder the gray area in which he has been firmly placed.
On the other hand, Kaede is on the opposite side, in which she knows that certain actions are unacceptable. It's a fascinating dichotomy, and it works in the film's favor, especially as it nears its finale, which will leave audiences thinking about the ramifications for a while afterward. Kotera's film is smart because it subverts audience expectations and changes the dynamic between father and daughter. Crime thrillers tend to see the father desperately searching for his kidnapped daughter, but Missing does the opposite, putting Kaede in the position of finding her father and doing everything she can to do so. This gives her a lot of agency, and both she and Santoshi are directly involved in the plot and how it all ultimately falls apart. It's a captivating slow storytelling that works because of the twists in the story and the ethical questions the film offers.
Where the movie could have blossomed even more is in its character dynamics. Kaede's relationship with her father is established early on, but they could have shared a few more scenes before he disappears. While the ending itself is riveting and satisfying, Missing often lacks the right amount of suspense to make the big moments more effective. The scenes are built and executed in a way that is meant to elevate each new reveal, but there is a lack of urgency in many cases, urgency that would have created more tension and suspense had it been present. Nonetheless, Missing is an enjoyable and captivating journey that will leave viewers in shock.