7 Movies Like ‘Missing’

If you are looking for a movie-watching experience that’s gonna keep you on the edge of your seat for two hours straight, Missing is the perfect movie for you!

Missing, which has been sitting near the top of the Netflix Top 10 for a few weeks now, tells the story of June Allen (Euphoria‘s Storm Reid), a rebellious teenager forced to embark on an unsettling mission when her mother disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend. Being stuck across the globe in Los Angeles, California, June uses her technological resources to find out what happened to her mother, with the entirety of the story being told through phone/computer screens, surveillance footage, social media platforms and more. During her internet sleuthing, June quickly realizes some shocking news about her mother, causing her to question if she ever truly knew who she was.

Does this format sound familiar? If so, you may be thinking of the 2018 mystery film, Searching, which serves as a stand-alone prequel to Missing.

In addition to this, the movie also serves as a spiritual sequel to the 2020 horror film, Run, ultimately confirming the fates of the characters within the script for Missing. (How brilliant is creator Aneesh Chaganty’s mind?!?)

If you are obsessed with Missing like us and seriously can’t get enough, we compiled a list of seven similar films to broaden your scope and allow you to do some sleuthing of your own.

1. Host

   

   Playing into the technological approach of Missing, Host is a 2020 horror film that you need to add to your watchlist. The movie quickly gained popularity as it highlighted a primary factor of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meetings, with the entire story being told through a single Zoom call.

   Starring Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, Caroline Ward and more, the plot of the film is centered around a group of friends who attempt to connect with the spirit world through a Zoom call, going on to accidentally invite a negative spirit into their meeting. As the movie progresses, the group of friends experience a great deal of paranormal activity, leaving the squad to fend for themselves as they try to escape the evil spirit.

   Host was shot during the COVID-19 pandemic over the course of three months, directly on the Zoom app with the cast and crew setting up cameras and lighting in their respective homes. With this unique setup, fans have compared Host to Missing, as the two movies draw quite a few similarities to one another production-wise.

   Host combines the unique format of Missing with quite a bit of paranormal activity, making for a must-see film that is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat.

2. Spree

   Also released in 2020 was a film titled Spree, which follows the life of Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery), a rideshare driver-turned-serial killer who murders his passengers with poisoned bottles of water. In a sickening attempt to go viral on the internet, Kunkle livestreams the killings of multiple unsuspecting passengers throughout the movie, with the story being told through various cameras attached to his vehicle.

   Spree takes on a much more comical approach than Missing, though both films play into the modern theme of social media, as well as share a very unique style of camerawork. In a psychological yet satirical way, Spree captures the lengths some people may go to achieve social media success, leaving viewers to question whether or not to laugh along with the film, or to leave feeling uneasy.

   If you love horror movies with a splash of humor, or if you simply can’t get enough of Joe Keery, like us, this one-of-a-kind movie is definitely one you need to check out.

   where to stream spree

3. Gone Baby Gone

   Serving as Ben Affleck’s directorial debut, the 2007 drama movie Gone Baby Gone has grown in stature pretty significantly since its release.

   Based on Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name, Gone Baby Gone follows the lives of two private investigators, Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), who embark on a mission to find a lost girl named Amanda McCready (Madeline O’Brien). Throughout this neo-noir crime thriller, Patrick and Angie find that the world is much more corrupt than they previously imagined, leading them to make some difficult decisions as the investigation continues, regardless of whether or not they are the most ethical.

   With the private investigators finding out some unsettling news and coming to the realization that the right choice isn’t always the best choice, this aspect of the plot parallels that of June in Missing.

   Including arguably one of the best-executed twists in modern cinema, Gone Baby Gone is one film that you have to add to your watchlist ASAP.

   where to stream gone baby gone

4. Prisoners

   If the missing person theme is what really intrigues you about Missing, then you are gonna want to watch the 2013 thriller, Prisoners.

   Starring Jake Gyllenhall, Hugh Jackman, Paul Dano, Maria Bello and more, Prisoners follows the abduction of two young girls and the tumultuous journey to find their kidnapper. Things go awry when the father of one of the daughters, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), questions the detective on the case, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhall), causing him to take matters into his own hands. Keller’s decision to insert himself into the investigation ultimately causes more harm than good, resulting in a haunting film that garnered tons of praise from critics and viewers alike.

   In this movie, we witness the emotional turmoil Keller experiences due to the kidnapping of his daughter, which draws parallels with June and the kidnapping of her mother throughout Missing. While each story is told in an entirely different way with varying plots, Missing and Prisoners capture the devastating nature of a missing loved one, as well as the emotional strain that victims’ families often experience.

   If you’re looking for a thrilling film that may even cause you to shed a few tears, Prisoners is exactly what you need.

   where to stream prisoners

5. Flightplan

   Another must-see film that follows the missing person theme is a 2005 thriller titled Flightplan, which follows the story of an aircraft engineer, Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster), who loses her daughter, Julia Pratt (Marlene Lawston), on an international flight from Berlin to New York. With the entire story taking place in the midst of a flight, Kyle embarks on the journey to find her daughter, searching the entire plane tirelessly and attempting to get leads from the other passengers.

   Flightplan is similar to Missing with its suspenseful plot about a family member searching for their missing loved one, however, the roles are reversed. While Flightplan depicts a mother desperately trying to find her daughter, the dynamic we see within Missing is essentially the opposite, ultimately creating a film that is equally as captivating.

   Staying true to the missing person theme with a little bit of extra adventure, Flightplan combines all of the elements needed to make an engaging, action-packed film that all viewers are sure to love.

   where to stream Flightplan

6. Unfriended

   Unfriended follows the same found-footage format as Missing, using facets of technology such as social media platforms, surveillance footage, phone/computer screens and more to deliver the terrifying plot. 

   Featuring stellar performances from Shelley Henning, Moses Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Pelts and more, Unfriended follows a group of high school friends whose ordinary Skype call takes a very evil turn when a negative spirit enters the chat, resulting in a must-see thriller for all horror movie fans. 

   Even though Missing and Unfriended share a very unique style of camerawork, the latter was one of the first films to execute the found-footage concept, ultimately laying down the framework for similar films to come.

   If the format of Missing is what you like most about the movie itself, be sure to check out Unfriended to see where it initially got its start. (And if you can’t get enough of it, be sure to check out its 2018 sequel, Unfriended: Dark Web.)

   Where to stream unfriended

7. Searching

   Of course, we needed to include the stand-alone prequel to Missing on this list!

   Also taking on a found-footage approach, Searching is centered around David Kim (John Cho) and his devastating journey to find his missing daughter, Margot Kim (Michelle La), essentially reversing the roles we see within Missing. Utilizing phone/computer screens, surveillance footage, social media platforms and more to deliver the plot, Searching draws quite a few similarities to its counterpart, however, each film follows an entirely different storyline starring different characters.

   Even though Missing hit streaming platforms five years after Searching, the two separate plots give you the freedom to watch each film in whichever order you please.

   where to stream searching

Born and raised in Orange County, California, Melanie Rooten is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Melanie has a true passion for all things pop culture, and she tends to spend her free time going to concerts and music festivals, binging her favorite TV shows, spending time with her friends and family and cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners (of course). You can connect with her on Twitter (@MelanieRooten) to see all of her recent articles.