Megan is Missing is a very effective and disturbing horror movie. While it could certainly be viewed as a cautionary tale I think that is inadvertent, much like Last House on the Left was a cautionary tale regarding buying drugs or talking to strangers. Here the destructive behavior is falling victim to online predators, and while the movie is far too exploitative to be taken very seriously it does provide a pretty unsettling "what if" scenario.
The movie is seriously flawed in a number of ways. First and foremost is the acting and dialog. While the acting in general isn't flat out awful, the dialog never quite rings true. The actors do their best to try and make the obviously written dialog sound natural and they just can't pull it off. This is a much bigger problem in the first half of the movie when more characters populate the story, but once the movie concentrates more on Amy and Megan, both young actors turn in very moving and effective performances.
Another issue that directly affects the movie's ability to come off as genuine is the fact that, while the footage is supposedly made up of camcorder, cell phone and webcam video, it appears to have all been shot with the same camera. This seriously impairs the authenticity of the footage. Even more bewildering are awkward faux news reports that are not only unconvincing but also act as an attempt to interject satirical humor into the movie and fall uncomfortably flat.
When the movie works, however, it works well. There are quiet moments between Amy and Megan that are quite touching. Amy recording a video diary is also very compelling (and leads to one of the movie's creepiest moments). When shocking photos supposedly showing Megan alive are flashed on screen my heart jumped into my throat, and the last twenty minutes (comprised almost entirely of footage found on Amy's video camera) of the movie is genuinely horrifying.
When it was over, I found myself to be chilled to the bone by this movie despite its serious flaws. I think the actors and director all have talent that just needs to be more focused. Only about half the movie works. But that half is quite effective and makes it worthwhile viewing. Just be warned that when the movie doesn't work it's terrible; when it does work it's terrifying.
The movie is seriously flawed in a number of ways. First and foremost is the acting and dialog. While the acting in general isn't flat out awful, the dialog never quite rings true. The actors do their best to try and make the obviously written dialog sound natural and they just can't pull it off. This is a much bigger problem in the first half of the movie when more characters populate the story, but once the movie concentrates more on Amy and Megan, both young actors turn in very moving and effective performances.
Another issue that directly affects the movie's ability to come off as genuine is the fact that, while the footage is supposedly made up of camcorder, cell phone and webcam video, it appears to have all been shot with the same camera. This seriously impairs the authenticity of the footage. Even more bewildering are awkward faux news reports that are not only unconvincing but also act as an attempt to interject satirical humor into the movie and fall uncomfortably flat.
When the movie works, however, it works well. There are quiet moments between Amy and Megan that are quite touching. Amy recording a video diary is also very compelling (and leads to one of the movie's creepiest moments). When shocking photos supposedly showing Megan alive are flashed on screen my heart jumped into my throat, and the last twenty minutes (comprised almost entirely of footage found on Amy's video camera) of the movie is genuinely horrifying.
When it was over, I found myself to be chilled to the bone by this movie despite its serious flaws. I think the actors and director all have talent that just needs to be more focused. Only about half the movie works. But that half is quite effective and makes it worthwhile viewing. Just be warned that when the movie doesn't work it's terrible; when it does work it's terrifying.