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As the only horror entry at this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, Regal Films’ The Missing certainly had to meet a lot of expectations from horror fans.
Unlike in previous years, the annual film festival is not shown in theaters, but instead uses the Upstream online platform to deliver films to the public, due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This dramatically changes the viewing experience, especially for a horror movie. There was no question that Regal Films, the studio behind the epic Shake Rattle and Roll franchise, went out of their way to deliver something out of the ordinary.
Synopsis: Iris (Blue Ritz), restorative architect, receives a commission from a former professor to work at his manor house in Japan. As good as she is at her job, Iris suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing the kidnapping of her little sister. While working on the project, she begins to be haunted by ghosts that have long lived at home.
From the beginning, the movie seems clear. A haunted house in Saga, Japan; a woman who is struggling with her personal demons and an underlying possibility of rekindling an old relationship.
While the story had great potential, the movie certainly had a lot of problems, one of which was the acting of the cast. At times the main star Ritz Azul seemed to be overdoing it, while at other times, he seemed to be delivering the bare minimum. I understand that his character was trying to deal with his mental health issues by showing a stoic facade, but at times, his speech was too monotonous to think that he was delivering a monologue.
The story also advanced at a snail’s pace to inject the shocks that audiences seem to expect from films of this genre.
For horror newbies, it might work, but if you’ve been watching horror for a while, the scenes are pretty predictable. The reflection of a ghost in the mirror, check it out. A ghost that comes face to face with the protagonist, look. A ghost trying to drown the main character. A dusty haunted house full of evidence boxes. We also have a couple of chase scenes in the woods and a big reveal at the end. It was a textbook horror.
The film makes use of amazing cinematography to capture the beauty of Japan. It may even inspire viewers to travel to the Japanese prefecture after the pandemic is over. The film’s musical score was also on point, although at times, it was too relaxing to cause a real sense of panic.
The Missing did everything according to the book, but it was not memorable. The element of horror is acceptable at best, but the real challenge is feeling a sense of connection with the characters because they have too much at stake. You confuse the message of the movie and the audience will tend to be confused with what you are trying to say. Is it focused on mental health or mystery?
Take a look at my full review at https://itswynnesworld.com/2020/12/27/the-missing-movie-review/
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