Megan is Missing

Well, Last night, I got off of work late and was home by myself.  Instead of doing important things, like updating this blog, editing down interviews and podcasts, or booking/updating sites for my band, I decided to do nothing and sit and watch a movie.  Instead of a horror movie or sci-fi flick, which is my usual taste, I decided I wanted a nice chick flick that would make me bawl my eyes because, well, let’s be honest, even a bitter bitch such as myself needs to shed some tears every once in a while.  So I looked on Netflix and decided that chick flicks aren’t really my thing (they aren’t… I have something against movies where the guy always gets the girl and everything ends happily… I’ll take death and destruction over that ANY DAY!)  And then I saw this little gem.  And decided, well, what the hell.

And well… all I can say about this particular flick is holy goddamn, son of a bitch, fuck, that just happened.  The little synopsis on Netflix said basically that it was a film shot in documentary style using photos, phone conversations, news reports, etc. and that “this chillingly realistic thriller charts the disappearance of two teens who vanish three weeks apart under mysterious circumstances.”  So I figured, okay, so something along the lines of Blaire Witch Project with maybe some slasher thrown in.  Man, was I ever so wrong.

Amy and Megan are best friends.  Amy is 13 (right).  Megan is 14 (left).  The first half of the movie introduces you to these two characters and their opposite yet seemingly intertwined lives.  In short, Megan is a slut with daddy issues who loves to go out and party.  Amy?  Well she’s the exact opposite.  From what almost seems a perfect family with plenty of money.  Overall, a very sweet innocent girl.  They balance each other out nicely.

The movie shows clips of them hanging out, of Megan chatting with other friends, going to parties, and  lots of teenage girl talk.  At a point about half way through the movie, Megan meets a  ‘charming boy’ named ‘Josh’ in an online chat room.  They chat for a few days, talk about meeting up.  After a movie trip with Amy, Megan  goes to meet him behind a diner (not creepy at all!).  And well, needless to say, Megan is now missing.

Amy, distraught at her best friend being gone, contacts Josh herself, but he is not the sweet charming guy he made himself out to be when he talked with Megan.  Amy then reports this to the police.  Josh then contacts her and says ‘Be careful what you say or I will come after you and your mom.’  Once again, needless to say, a few days later, Amy goes missing.

Now, at this point in the movie my mind is reeling.  All I can keep thinking is ‘Goddamnit!  You girls are fucking stupid! You’re stupidity deserves this!

Then the movie changes.  It’s no longer two girls chatting with each other  It shows photos of investigations, news reports.  So I’m beginning to think that maybe it’s going to go into a grieving part… or maybe take a switch and focus on the families and friends.

But it didn’t.

I had hope.

I thought maybe they would find the girls.  Movies are supposed to end happily, right?

No.

I won’t go into much detail about the end.  Just know that it’s graphic and not just graphic.  It’s the timing of when and where things are introduced and how they flow into the story.  You realize as soon as Megan goes missing that the chance of them being found are slim.  However, the director leaves you room to hope.  Then right when he builds you up to the point when you think, hey! There’s still a good chance, he takes that hope and smashes it.

That’s what fucked me up. Even the last bit of the movie wasn’t that bad… not as bad as the initial shock of the realization of what ‘Josh’ was doing to these girls.

The entire concept of the movie is intriguing though.  This story is told only through Internet voice chats, vlogs, and video phone chats… alongside the news stories and a few random photos. I thought this would annoy me but it really didn’t.  It just amazed me to see how much technology has woven its way into our lives.  It also shows the side-affect… uninvolved parents who let their children run around unchecked with no rules (granted, it is Hollywood where this movie takes place).  It’s very interesting as to how the director weaves this all together to tell a full story.  The placement of certain footage is timed very well and only adds to the shock.

Overall, I’d say it’s a good movie albeit it’s very fucked up.  It will,however, get into your head and will stick with you because it’s so damn real.  Not scary in the least bit… just very real.  And well, there are never happy endings in real life, are there?

Note::  This movie is a ‘mockumentary’ as far as I can tell.  Basically a fictional drama recorded in documentary style.    I have had some sources say that it is based on actual events, but I haven’t been able to come up with any proof as to the names of the people, the area, or what actually happened to them.