Missing

Missing

Year: 2023

Language: English

Director: Nicholas D. Johnson

DramaThriller

June undertakes a determined search for her missing mother, who disappeared in Colombia. Faced with bureaucratic obstacles, she utilizes technology to investigate, uncovering surprising and unsettling secrets about her family's past. Her digital search reveals a complex truth that challenges everything she believed about her mother and her own identity.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Missing yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Missing (2023) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Missing (2023), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

In an archival video, June Allen reflects on a moment with her late father, James, who succumbed to a brain tumor shortly after filming. Fast forward to years later, and June’s mother, Grace, embarks on a week-long excursion to Cartagena, Colombia, accompanied by her boyfriend Kevin. During this time, June is entrusted to the care of Grace’s friend Heather, a divorce lawyer whose envy of Grace’s relationship with Kevin is palpable.

As the week unfolds, June’s task of retrieving her mother and Kevin at Los Angeles International Airport leads to a troubling revelation: they never arrive. In her desperation, June reaches out to the FBI but soon decides to take matters into her own hands, utilizing a suite of digital tools to trace their whereabouts. Enlisting the help of Javier, a Colombian gig worker who’s willing to assist for a small fee, she dives deeper into the investigation.

Upon breaching Kevin’s Gmail, June stumbles upon a web of aliases and a troubling criminal history marked by scams against unsuspecting women. Convinced that Kevin has abducted her mother, she tasks Javier to hunt for clues in Colombia. Their trail takes them to Nevada, where June encounters a man named Jimmy, who claims to be a pastor running a rehabilitation center for ex-convicts. He insists that Kevin has turned his life around and is truly in love with Grace. This only deepens June’s suspicions when she discovers that her mother had previously accessed Kevin’s dating profile, revealing that Grace might have known about his dubious past all along.

FBI agent Elijah Park soon contacts June with alarming news: footage has surfaced of criminals appearing to kidnap Kevin and Grace in Colombia. However, June quickly uncovers that this is merely a ruse, orchestrated by Kevin who hired an actress, Rachel Page, to masquerade as her mother during a supposed kidnapping. With the case escalating into a national spectacle, Rachel admits she unwittingly became entangled in Kevin’s deceitful plans. Disturbingly, it surfaces that Grace has also operated under multiple aliases, igniting theories about her involvement in her own disappearance.

Determined to prove her mother’s innocence, June’s focus shifts to Heather when an encrypted communication reveals ties to Kevin. Sneaking into Heather’s office, she discovers it ransacked and eventually finds Heather’s lifeless body in a storage closet. As June watches a live police raid unfold in Colombia, news hits that Kevin has been shot despite his attempts to surrender, leaving her desperate for answers.

At a seemingly insurmountable impasse, June finally breaks into her mother’s email and uncovers a menacing message aimed at Grace. This leads her to security cameras Kevin purchased for an abandoned house—her old vacation home in Nevada. In a twist of fate, Jimmy calls and claims he has crucial information about Grace. When he arrives, the shocking truth emerges: he is June’s father, who had been falsely accused by Grace and kept away from June. He further reveals his history of domestic abuse and drug addiction, painting a grim picture that contradicts what June had known.

Jimmy later kidnaps June, taking her to the old house where Grace is also held. In a tense reunion, tragedy strikes as Jimmy shoots Grace. In a desperate act, she stabs him with a shard of glass before he can escape with June. To turn the tides, June seizes the moment when she realizes her laptop remains untouched. Calling for help through the cameras, she instructs Siri to summon the police.

Months later, Grace has miraculously survived her injuries, and June is settling into college life. Their harrowing story has found life on a true crime show titled Unfiction, while Grace forges a budding friendship with Javier. In a touching exchange, June texts her mother with words of love, to which Grace responds with affection in return.

Last Updated: October 27, 2024 at 23:21

Ending Explained – What Happens at the End of Missing?

Still wondering what the ending of Missing (2023) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.

In the end, “Missing” reveals that Grace’s disappearance was part of a carefully planned escape from a life marred by abuse and trauma. Grace, who had been living under a false identity with her daughter, had taken extreme measures to protect herself, which included staged kidnappings and fabricated stories. The person June initially believed was her mother—Rachel—was actually an actress hired to pose as Grace, further complicating the mystery. Kevin, too, was not the con artist June thought but a man trying to genuinely change, though his true intentions were blurred by his criminal past and staged manipulations. The climax unfolds asJames, June’s father, reappears—an apparent villain, but also a betrayed man who had been wrongfully imprisoned by Grace and was seeking revenge. It turns out he had been holding Grace hostage, intending to kill her and confront June. However, Grace fights back fiercely, dragging herself and June into safety, and ultimately stabbing James in self-defense. James, in a final ironic twist, ends his own life at the moment he is about to call for help. The story concludes with Grace and June escaping danger, having survived the ordeal and uncovering the true reason behind their ordeal: Grace’s need to start anew, free from an abusive past. The film is a powerful reflection on the lengths a mother will go to shield her daughter and the sacrifices made to break free from trauma, highlighting themes of resilience, identity, and survival. Ultimately, “Missing” emphasizes that sometimes, the greatest mysteries lie close to home, and survival can come from unexpected acts of courage and strength.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44

Unlock the Full Story of Missing

Don't stop at just watching — explore Missing in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Missing is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Missing Timeline

Track the full timeline of Missing with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Missing Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Missing

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Missing. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Missing

Missing Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of Missing? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

Missing Ending Explained

More About Missing

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Missing: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Missing

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