Missing Child (2014) - Movie Review

It’s worth pointing out that ‘Missing Child’ opened and ended on a very mysterious note. The film never wants to answer its own questions, allowing the audience to think more beyond its given clues. It starts off with an old man taking a young girl away from his car, asking her if she’s looking forward to what’s coming. The scene preceding it wasn’t revealed, but the events clearly scarred the girl up to his adult life.

We later found out that the girl, named Gia (Kristen Ruhlin), was actually abducted by this man. Her isolation from her real family as a young girl creates a huge problem in finding out who she actually is. This cluelessness is an indication of why she goes on a rebellious path growing up, starring in a porn video she didn’t want to belong and being despised by her foster parents. Her boyfriend, the bounty hunter Joe (Luke Sabis), is on the run to help locate her long-forgotten parents. When a “missing child” photo was retrieved containing the same exact information Gia has, the couple take out their best shot (and only choice) to a possible reunion.

For a film promising enough to be a great mystery thriller, it goes deeper by delving into the psychological play on its characters, which for the most part did its job effectively. The thriller aspect of it doesn’t even want to label itself as a thriller since it restrains itself to focus on something more personal and humane.

If there’s one thing that made ‘Missing Child’ stand compared to similar films of its type, it’s the fact that it shows that real terror doesn’t come on a person’s action and personality, but on the convoluted areas within his mind waiting to come into play.

Luke Sabis has a gargantuan responsibility of starring, directing and writing the movie. As a feature film debut for the award-winning filmmaker, Sabis did a pretty solid job orchestrating all duties. He also pull out great performances from the cast, most notably Ruhlin and Sabis’ frequent collaborator Charles Gorgano.

‘Missing Child’ is a hidden gem that definitely needs to be seen by a big crowd. The ending might feel abrupt, but intentional or not, it fittingly suits well with the mysterious vibe the film is establishing since its opening. A great character study in its own right, the added psychological aspect of its story rounds up the thoroughly captivating ride it effectively delivered.