Night of the Missing review
A horror anthology of consistent quality, Night of the Missing is streaming on Screambox November 28.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Night of the Missing
Directed by Samuel Gonzalez Jr. and Matthew Hersh
Written by Samuel Gonzalez Jr. and Gigi Gustin
Starring Meredith Thomas, Jill Awbrey, Gigi Gustin, Bill Moseley, Sheila Ball, Moria N. Boone, Jenna Kanell and Justin Miles
Night of the Missing Review
Night of the Missing solves two of the biggest issues that usually plague horror anthologies. The first, and biggest, is the framing story. Too many movies feature a wraparound narrative that hurts the pacing of the overall package. On top of that, they usually fail to accomplish anything interesting on their own. They’re necessary evils…providing a reason for the string of short stories that make up the film. But they’re almost always of lower quality than the segments they contain. Night of the Missing keeps their framing story simple. A strange woman talks to the local sheriff about the plethora of missing people in town. She tells stories about what happened to them…and this makes up the bulk of the movie. It goes the extra mile by having its wraparound segments lead to a fun purpose of their own. It doesn’t hurt the quality of the film…in fact…it fits the vibe completely.
That’s a good thing and a bad thing. The good news is that Night of the Missing is a remarkably consistent offering. The bad news is that nothing inside of it stands notably above the rest. It’s good to eliminate that one bad segment that drags the whole thing down. Those can be interminable to get through. But…there isn’t a portion of this movie that is going to blow you away either. It’s a trade off for sure. What we get is a good package that never overstays its welcome. But it’s a package you aren’t likely to return to once you’ve seen it. There’s no must-see story to drive you back. However, there’s no must-miss story to drive you away either.
Night of the Missing is a horror anthology that is worth watching. It breezes by without ever making you check for how much time is left in a specific segment. That’s an all too rare accomplishment for a horror anthology. Having a comparable framing story certainly helps.
Now that we’ve looked at the overall quality of Night of the Missing…let’s rank the four short stories inside of the movie. In reverse order…as we do.
4. Miniature (segment 3)
Miniature is one of two very short segments that make up Night of the Missing. More of a concept than a full narrative…but a fun one. This is the story of Lila Cameron…seen here as a speechless miniature model in an old man’s basement. Her miniature town filled with miniature neighbors provides a surprisingly suspenseful little tale. It’s not fleshed out enough to rank higher…but it’s worth bearing in mind that there is no segment in the movie that isn’t good.
3. We All Scream (segment 1)
We All Scream is even shorter than Miniature. That’s the only mark that can be leveled against it. For the brief time we spend in the story of Joey Gonzalez…we have a spooky good time. The story of a kid in search of ice cream…and the terrifying clown waiting for him in an ice cream truck. Very short and to the point…it features the best and most interesting imagery in the whole movie. It leaves you wishing you’d have ordered a double scoop.
2. You Promised (segment 4)
You Promised does several interesting things with what becomes an unexpected ghost story. It employs some fun editing techniques early to jump you to the middle of the action. This gives it an immediate momentum that is always appreciated in the final segment of an anthology. This is the story of Will Rainer…under house arrest with an ankle monitor after a drug bust. When a drug deal goes horrifically wrong…he finds himself stuck in haunted house. Like the rest of Night of the Missing, it’s a strong addition to the film.
1. Night Flirt (segment 2)
Night Flirt gets the nod as the best segment of Night of the Missing due to the fantastic performance at the center of it. Tammy Wright (Gigi Gustin) is home alone at night. She is haunted by familial trauma and visions of her mother. Bored out of her mind…she takes up a phone sex line. Her first caller is more than she bargained for. This is a classic “caller is watching” story with a twist. What makes it all work so well is Gustin’s committed performance. It’s a real highlight of the movie.
You might have these ranked in a completely different order and that’s totally fair. The truth is that each segment is of incredibly similar quality. It’s remarkable how consistent the film is. You’ll never be bored by it…but nothing standing head and shoulders above the rest has its drawbacks as well.
Scare Value
When a horror anthology carries a consistent level of quality it’s both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, there is no segment that drags down the overall package. On the other hand, there isn’t a memorable segment sticking out either. Night of the Missing has strong pacing which is rare for an anthology. It’s decent wrap around story is even rarer.
3.5/5
Night of the Missing Link
Streaming on Screambox November 28
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