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Over the course of the past decade, a new style of filmmaking has emerged into popularity: the screenlife film. What distinguishes screenlife films from typical films is how they tell their story primarily through the lens of a computer screen. Out of all films of this genre, few have been able to compete with director Aneesh Chaganty’s 2018 thriller “Searching,” but Chaganty made a return with his 2023 movie “Missing.”

Though there are not many screenlife films, “Searching” left a mark, with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Chaganty’s effort in this film proves to be a dizzying and labyrinthine experience, throwing countless red herrings at the viewer as it navigates through the story’s compelling twists and turns.

Screenlife films highlight the ever present use of phones, tablets and computers in modern daily life. Screenlife films also offer filmmakers the ability to make a film without meticulously planning out every shot – often, it’s as easy as turning on the front-facing camera on a smartphone and utilizing the computer display as the focal point of the shots.

“Missing” follows June, a young woman who has long been struggling to deal with life without her father, who passed away when she was little. June’s mother, Grace, has since found love again, but June is very aloof towards Grace’s new boyfriend, Kevin. One day, Grace and Kevin set off for a vacation to Colombia.

Anticipating their return, June goes to the airport to pick them up, but they never show. June starts worrying about her mother’s whereabouts, and what follows is a series of discoveries and revelations that ultimately transform her understanding of her own life.

While many sequels feel like mindless rehashes of the films on which they are based, this is not the case with “Missing.” What distinguishes this film from its predecessor, “Searching,” is the way in which it unfolds.

“Searching” brings viewers through a constantly winding road which ends with the characters finding their loved ones, while “Missing” illustrates the gradual discovery of the hidden truths of June’s life that have long been kept under wraps.

“Missing” doesn’t have many big twists and turns compared to “Searching,” but for the kind of story “Missing” is trying to tell, not many of those huge twists and turns are necessary. The story’s structure perfectly fits what “Missing” is trying to do.

Because the sequel’s focus is on June’s gradual discovery of her past, its pacing is also considerably slower than its predecessor. “Missing” does have some quick-paced sequences when the film’s intensity hits its peak, but much of the film is considerably slower than “Searching.” Again, though, this serves the objectives of “Missing” better — the slow pacing allows the discoveries to sink deeper, both among the characters and among the audience.

Even with these differences between films, “Missing” does possess a number of the same strengths that made “Searching” great. Despite the film’s slower pacing and more slow-burn approach to its mystery, “Missing,” like its predecessor, has an excellent sense of intensity. The sound design and editing often create a very tense atmosphere around the film.

The editing in particular is impressive — not just in choosing where to cut, pan, tilt, or zoom the footage, but in manipulating the visual objects. The visual-object editing is incredibly slick and brings life to the screen. The great sense of visual life allows the film to take full advantage of the screenlife style, preventing the film from just looking like a screen recording and instead making it look the part of a cinematic experience.

Another thing “Missing” shares in common with “Searching” is good acting. In a film as good as “Missing,” the performances take what is already a strong film and elevate it even further. Storm Reid in the lead role as June is especially compelling, as she delivers her performance with flying colors, lending a strong sense of urgency to the story and emotion to her character.

Despite all these clear strengths that “Missing” has, the film does have one major flaw: the third act. “Searching” held its mystery in full throttle until the end, keeping audiences engaged and curious, while “Missing” plays out differently.

During the third act, the biggest hidden truth is revealed. June finds out her father is still alive, and that Grace had suffered abuse at his hands. The abuse was why Grace kept June away from him. June’s father is the reason Grace never came back from Colombia as he kidnapped her and eventually brought June to the same place.

During this climactic turn of events, June and Grace both resist June’s father, resulting in a tense fight and a daring attempt to gain freedom. The very end of “Missing” transpires much the same way as “Searching,” with the characters reconciling and developing a new attitude towards life and their past. “Searching” saved the fast-paced twists for the end, while “Missing” took the conventional route of disappointingly revealing the plot twists during the third act, making it much less dramatic.

All told, though, “Missing” is a compelling thrill ride and a worthy follow-up to “Searching.” Though it doesn’t reach the same creative and dramatic heights as its predecessor, “Missing” is successful in its own right, charting its own distinct path while sharing many of the original’s strengths. “Missing” proves a captivating and emotional story, and is clearly worth the effort put into it. Put concisely, there’s not much missing in “Missing.”

Published on January 22, 2023 at 9:45 pm