Missing (2022)

Missing is the kind of thriller that sneaks up on you: it starts as a seemingly straightforward search for a vanished father, then keeps re-framing what you think you know with shifting perspectives that deepen the mystery instead of merely complicating it. Shinzo Katayama builds tension with a steady, unnerving patience, letting small details and human choices carry as much weight as the crime-story mechanics. Jiro Sato and Aoi Ito give performances that make the father-daughter bond feel lived-in and fragile, so every new turn lands with real emotional impact, not just plot momentum. Be warned, it’s bleaker than the premise suggests and more interested in the ache beneath the suspense than in tidy thrills—but if you like mysteries that tighten like a knot and leave a bruise, it’s absolutely worth the watch.

Missing is clearly aiming for a grim, socially bruised mystery about desperation and the way violence ripples through a family, and it commits to that vision without flinching. The problem is it’s less a crowd-pleasing thriller than a slow squeeze of dread: the tone is relentlessly bleak, the turns are harsh, and the payoff can feel more punishing than satisfying if you want catharsis. If you’re expecting clever twists, a heroic search, or even a comforting sense of justice, this one may leave you cold. Still, the dual perspective and grounded performances give it a tense, unsettling pull for viewers who can handle something darker and more nihilistic.