Missing

PG

Released Feb 12, 1982

2h 2m

Drama

List

94%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 1973, U.S. businessman Ed Horman (Jack Lemmon) arrives in Chile to look for his son, Charles (John Shea), a politically left-leaning journalist who disappeared during a military coup. Charles' wife, Beth (Sissy Spacek), has been looking for some time, but her requests for help from the U.S. consulate have thus far produced few results. As Ed and Beth try to figure out what really happened to Charles, Ed realizes that the American officials may know more than they're telling.

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Critics Consensus

Thanks in large part to strong performances by Sissy Spacek and Jack Lemmon, Missing is both a gripping character exploration and an effective political thriller.

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Jerod S

True story of Charles Horman, who was murdered in Chile. He thought being an American would keep him safe, but that didn't work out. And though the story is wild, the movie is tame and slow.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

Full Review

Michael H

Brilliant film. All performances are layered and subtle. First Film where Jack Lemmon started pulling things back and became the genius actor that he was in his later years. Everything after this film he was excellent in. Except those Grumpy Old Man films. (grandkids money movies). Sissy Spacek pulled off a terrific follow up to her performance in COAL MINERS DAUGHTER. Also Oscar nominated here. The Music and Script are out of the world. So many moments of the films images have haunted and stuck w/m me throughout my life. How could this happen to people, how could these American Embassy People and contracted worked and Government workers there to aid American citizens - Sacrifice their own so easily and lie to the families faces so blatantly and be the main problem instead of being part of the resolve. After seeing these people up close, in my own life and work, these covert operatives in our own government. How money rules above everything else. 'It's about Faith. Faith in what? "Truth". Just Brilliant.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/28/23

Full Review

Leaburn O

Excellent acting all round as this political thriller brings Pinochet's brutal Chilean coup to life. Equal part intriguing and scary, this was a story worth telling.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/29/23

Full Review

jane i

I'm a suspense and horror movie buff. I actually liked this movie. Good actresses, a surprise at the end. I enjoyed watching the young woman looking for her mother and using technology. My , she was tenacious. A good mystery and suspenseful movie. I'd recommend.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Red T

A Classic Political Thriller. The acting, camerawork, music and editing is all very well done with great chemistry between the two leads. The main problems this has is with the pacing and the fact that while it does everything very well it isn't phenomenal. The pacing can be uneven at times in the first half where it will develop great tension and than settles into 2 minute expose scenes that completely kills the tension at the expense of moving the plot along. Overall especially in the 2nd half it does a good job holding the tension but never feels like it builds it. It instead settles for delivering a political message undertone at that expense which definitely works but it comes at the cost of tension buildup, sort of a double edged sword. Also at the expense of being faithful to the true story I feel it kind of ends on a underwhelming note as what you thought would happen does and in that case what matters is everything else has to be done flawlessly. Unfortunately it isn't here. I highly recommend this though to anyone who likes thrillers or is a fan of any of the actors in this or the director. It's Very Well Done.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

steven a

A strong script gives Lemmon and Spacek plenty of material to demonstrate their acting chops and the pair turn in excellent and believable performances. Lemmon, in particular, gets to grips with the contradiction of Ed's idealistic faith and his gradual realisation that Spacek's cynicism is not without a solid foundation. Vangelis provides a minimal but affecting musical theme. Aronovich's photography is occasionally a little too soft-focused for its subject matter, but otherwise is commendable in capturing a country in crisis.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Costa-Gavras

Director

Jack Lemmon

Ed Horman

Sissy Spacek

Beth Horman

John Shea

Charles "Charlie" Horman

Melanie Mayron

Terry Simon

Charles Cioffi

Captain Ray Tower

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

A story that could have made for a brisk jeremiad on 60 Minutes is stretched to 122 minutes of heroes fuming and villains purring their oleaginous apologies. Spacek and Lemmon, an appealing sweet-and-sour combo, sink in the swamp of good intentions.

Mar 29, 2009

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Lemmon is superior as a man facing up to issues he never wanted to confront personally.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Derek Adams

Time Out

Spacek and Lemmon are fine as the missing man's wife and father, but what makes the film so overwhelming in places is its unending night-time imagery of a society coming apart at the seams.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Zita Short

InSession Film

Costa-Gavras made far more radical political thrillers than this but I think this was one of his sharpest efforts as it is able to package its political message within an engaging human story.

Feb 7, 2023

Full Review

Chase Burns

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Missing remains one of director Costa-Gavras's best works.

Jan 20, 2022

Full Review

Larry Vitacco

Philadelphia Gay News

A fascinating story that is all the more frightening because it actually happened.

Rated: 4/4

May 27, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

In 1973, U.S. businessman Ed Horman (Jack Lemmon) arrives in Chile to look for his son, Charles (John Shea), a politically left-leaning journalist who disappeared during a military coup. Charles' wife, Beth (Sissy Spacek), has been looking for some time, but her requests for help from the U.S. consulate have thus far produced few results. As Ed and Beth try to figure out what really happened to Charles, Ed realizes that the American officials may know more than they're telling.

Director: Costa-Gavras
Producer: Peter Guber, Jon Peters
Screenwriter: Costa-Gavras, Donald Stewart
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 1982, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2020
Runtime: 2h 2m