Missing Child (2015) User Reviews

Captivating

[snapplecommand · 9/10 · 25 October 2015]

I saw MISSING CHILD at the Laemmle Cinema in Beverly Hills, CA. The audience was completely silent while watching the film, which means everyone was enraptured by it. I was too, as I had no idea where it was going or what the characters were going to do next. The film takes three people with divergent motives and ways of doing things and puts them together in one house for most of the movie. Relationships unravel, new ones develop, information is revealed, and people surprise each other before the show is through. The promos for the film describe it as "disturbing", but I've seen far more disturbing films than this. It's not even that graphic and is rather tame in that regard. What might be considered disturbing is the shifting motives and changing loyalties between people who think they are able to trust one another. You think you know someone…then they go and do what they do in this movie. Definitely worth seeing!

Kristen the lead actress is wonderful as someone sweet and tender, but also with a dark past. Luke is intense as her older, unpredictable boyfriend. And Charles Gorgano is downright creepy as an older fellow who seems like your favorite uncle, but then becomes something else.

Missing Child: More Than a Story of a Missing Girl

[TheNihalGursoyOfficial · 10 June 2016]

Missing Child is a narrative film by the award-winning director, Luke Sabis. When the narration of the movie first starts, the audience anticipates an ordinary story of a girl trying to find her parents. However, the story is far more than that. It is a moving struggle of a woman who has been kidnapped and sexually assaulted as a child.

Sabis excels at reflecting the pain of what a victim experiences as a result of such experience. The cinematography, lighting, and prop placement are also good for a low-budget movie. However, the plot is weak as a whole.

Gia is a 21 year old woman who is struggling with lost memories of her past. She lives with her boyfriend who gets paid for finding missing people. When he convinces Gia that Henry could be her father, they set out and find Henry. The rest of the story takes place in Henry's home.

One of the best scenes of the movie takes place when the trio is having dinner at the table. It is an intense scene where the audience starts getting the hint that Henry is being tricked by Gia and that he is aware of it. He drugs Gia and her boyfriend and handcuffs them. An unexpected move by the sweet old Henry character. After this point in the film, there is no clear resolution. An expected conflict does not take place. Henry simply kills himself; Gia ends up killing her boyfriend and sending the money to her friend as a surprise.

There are moments between Henry and Gia that confuse the audience. In one scene he acts as if he is about to assault her. However, in another scene he opens up to her about killing his own daughter. This inconsistency in the characters also damages the plot. The only character that saves the film is Gia. The viewer sees character development in her. At the end of the movie, she succeeds in being able to stay alone with her thoughts. However, it is up to the audience to decide what has led to this development. Once again, the plot is not strong enough to clearly point out an incident that could have led to this development.

The music and settings of the movie are well picked with the musical score composed by Luke Sabis. They fit to the action and create the atmosphere needed. In addition, the dialogues are natural and characters are well played. I would recommend seeing the movie if the topic interests you and if you want to see the psychological state of a subject who has gone through sexual assault as a child.