Andrew's "Missing" Review

Missing is an atmospheric thriller backed by a compelling story and chilling dialogue. Mike Storch both borrows from and departs from the style of his previous thriller, Gnomes. Like Gnomes, Missing relies less on flashy animation and more on music and dialog to propel the story forward.

Story:
Missing employs a strong story penned by Andres de la Hoz, that follows two parallel stories that seemingly go together. The main story is of a prisoner, and a sadistic kidnapper, who establishes atmosphere early on with a chilling monologue about what kinds of torture he will inflict on his victim. The second story involves a wife searching for her missing husband, presumably one of the two characters involved in the first plot.
These stories flash back and forth, building tension as we discover that the outcome of one story will ultimately determine the end for the other story.
There are some holes, or unclear moments. Why has the man been kidnapped? What are the motivations? While these may have been purposefully left out to allow for interpretation, they leave the viewer slightly confused at the end.

Presentation:
This is Mike Storch's strong point. Every camera angle was added for a reason. Storch doesn't resort to frivalous camera moves, or splashy scenery, because he doesn't need it. His camera work is atmospheric, evoking a claustrophobic, doomed feeling that serves the film wonderfully.
I'd also like to note the chilling montage of torture tools shown near the beginning. This caused my stomach to drop, and set me up for the entire rest of the film.

Visuals:
I've already mentioned that Storch doesn't indulge in splashy effects. His scenery is believable, consistent, and solid. Some effects are a little out-dated, such as the explosion-based rain, and some lacking textures. Otherwise, Storch's visual style of Gnomes returns in many of the outdoor scenes. The inclusion of suburban and domestic scenery does allow some departure from the constant rural setting of Gnomes.

Sound:
Andrew James Thomas has once again come through to arrange and produce (correct me if I'm wrong, please) a suspenseful, atmospheric score. Thomas is a fan of Silvestri, but it doesn't get boring. The score is one of the strongest aspects of the film, so strong that when I had to pause the movie, I rewound back to the music cue to experience it fully.
Voices were well done. The torturer's speech stood out as a delightfully terrifying bit of dialog. All the voice actors did Andres' script justice.

The Final Word:
Though the payoff at the ending was not as satisfying as one may have liked, Missing is a strong outing from Dark Gnome Productions. From the suspenseful story, to the atmospheric staging, Missing was well worth the download, and a movie that fans of Storch's work and thrillers should definitely take the time to see. Did I mention it's atmospheric?

******** (8/10) Great