The Missing is a 2020 Philippine horror film directed by Easy Ferrer under

Regal Films Regal Entertainment, Inc. (formerly and more commonly known as Regal Films) is a Philippine film production company based in Pasig. It was founded by Lily Monteverde on August 19, 1962. It has produced movies of all genres; and is the oldest s ...

starring

Ritz Azul Ritz Azul-Guy (born Ritz Ann Riggie Villafuerte Alzul on January 11, 1994), is a Filipina actress and television hostess known for her work as a talent of TV5 and later ABS-CBN through Star Magic. Early life and career Although born in Pampan ...

Joseph Marco Joseph Cecil Marco (born October 4, 1988) is a Filipinos, Filipino actor, model, singer and endorser who played the role of Santi Domingo in the GMA Network Philippine drama series ''La Vendetta (TV series), La Vendetta'' and who is currently ...

, and

Miles Ocampo Camille Tan Hojilla (born May 1, 1997), known professionally as Miles Ocampo, is a Filipino actress, model, writer, and singer. A former mainstay in the kiddie gag show ''Goin' Bulilit'', she is a member of Crown Artist Management, a talent age ...

. It is one of the official entries for the

2020 Metro Manila Film Festival The 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is the 46th edition of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival. It is organized by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). It is the first edition of the festival to be held online due to the ...

Premise

Iris (

), a 28-year-old architect often hallucinates due to suffering from

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...

after losing her younger sister to a kidnapping syndicate. Meanwhile, Job (

), who is also an architect and an ex-lover of Iris, invites Iris to go to Japan for a job opportunity. ''The Missing'' also follows Len (

), a graduating student who was born and has spent her childhood in

Saga, Japan is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasa ...

Cast

as Iris *

as Job *

as Len *

Melissa Mendez Melissa Mendez (; born July 27, 1964) is a Filipina film and TV actress. Mendez was nominated for a Best Actress FAMAS Award for the film ''Kalakal'' (2008). Mendez produced an independent movie, ''Hilot'' (2009) with Empress Schuck. It was dire ...

*Seiyo Masunaga as Aki Japanese actors were also part of the cast.

Production

''The Missing'' was produced under

Regal Entertainment Regal Entertainment, Inc. (formerly and more commonly known as Regal Films) is a Philippine film production company based in Pasig. It was founded by Lily Monteverde on August 19, 1962. It has produced movies of all genres; and is the oldest s ...

under the direction of Easy Ferrer. The film is Ferrer's first horror movie. Filming for ''The Missing'' reportedly took place in the

Saga prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasak ...

in Japan for eight to ten days, with Ferrer noting that he has incorporated

Japanese horror Japanese horror is horror fiction derived from popular culture in Japan, generally noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre differing from the traditional Western representation of horror. Japanese horror tends ...

to Philippine horror in making the film. The film's director also cited his experience of

post traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...

, ten years earlier from the film's release as is his primary inspiration for ''The Missing''. Ferrer wrote the script in 2013, during the time the

Ampatuan massacre The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre, named after the town where mass graves of victims were found, occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in then-undivided Maguindanao (which is now Magu ...

Maguindanao Maguindanao (, Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun language, Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the ...

was still a widely-talked issue in the Philippines and used the issue of violence against journalists and other media personnel as a theme in the film. After completing the script's draft, Ferrer then revised the script to "fit the Japanese intrusion". Regal Films executive producer Roselle Monteverde and fellow director

Joey Reyes Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horace ...

were also part of ''The Missings creative process.

Release

''The Missing'' will be made available digitally through Upstream starting December 25, 2020 as one of the official entries of the

(MMFF). ''Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan'', a film adaptation of a novel of the same name by

Bob Ong Bob Ong is the pseudonym of a contemporary Filipino author known for using conversational writing technique to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippine life. The author's actual name and identity are unknown. Career Bob Ong pursued ...

was supposed to be Regal Film's 2020 MMFF entry, but they had to withdraw the film due to delays on ''Mama Susans post-production due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and submitted ''The Missing'' as its entry for the film festival instead. It was also previously selected as an official entry for the

2020 Metro Manila Summer Film Festival The 2020 Metro Manila Summer Film Festival was planned to be the first edition of the annual Metro Manila Summer Film Festival. It was to be organized by the MMDA in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines. The film ...

, which was later cancelled. The Missing will also mark its director's debut in the MMFF.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Missing, The (2020 film) Philippine horror films Films shot in Japan Films about post-traumatic stress disorder Films not released in theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic Films set in Saga Prefecture Films postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic