Missing (2021)

January 4, 2023 11:37 AM

Original title: Sagasu. Depressed and in debt, Santoshi (Jirô Satô) tells his young teen daughter Kaede (Aoi Itô) that he's going to find an infamous serial killer and collect a reward. However, when Santoshi disappears without a trace, she starts to fear the worst and begins searching for him.

Also starring Hiroya Shimizu, Misato Morida, Tôko Narushima, Shotaro Ishii.

Directed and co-written by Shinzô Katayama, who previously worked as part of Bong Joon-ho's crew.

96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently available for digital rental in the US on multiple outlets. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (2 comments total)

I saw the first part of this as part of Fantastic Fest Online back in October, but my kiddo reset the router and I got kicked off. I thought it was pretty solid.

Then I saw the entire movie on a Lufhansa flight yesterday and was much more impressed. Having had three months between seeing the first part and jumping back in and seeing the turn this film takes, I was completely caught off guard. It was surprising and fascinating and my jaw dropped a few times.

Katayama isn't the fluid virtuoso his mentor Bong Joon-ho is, but this is still very well put-together and enjoyable. Think of it less in the category of something multilayered and dense like Parasite and more like a Japanese version of some of the clever, emotionally grounded crime/mysteries that the US used to make so often around the turn of the century, like Memento or Primal Fear.

Don't watch the trailer though. It may give too many hints.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:44 AM on January 4, 2023

Phew this is dark, but sometimes still pretty funny. It manages a little dance well between horror and comedy and sadness. Like, the kind of unkillable nature of the woman who wanted to die.

Lots of feeling of, sigh, stupid stupid otōsan, just stop being so stupid. The fearful tension of him trying to pull off his plan because he's a bumbler. His bumbling downfall... his moral stain. Sigh.

Final shot was milked a little too much.

I saw the first part of this as part of Fantastic Fest Online back in October, but my kiddo reset the router and I got kicked off. I thought it was pretty solid.

Then I saw the entire movie on a Lufhansa flight yesterday and was much more impressed.

I can imagine it seemed like quite a different movie, depending on when you stopped watching it the first time!
posted by fleacircus at 9:39 AM on May 8, 2023