James Nesbitt delivers a superb performance in the BBC drama.
Director: Tom Shankland
Cast: James Nesbitt, Frances O’Connor, Oliver Hunt, Tchéky Karyo, Anastasia Hille
Rating: 15
Running Time: 480 mins
Release: DVD & Blu-ray December 26th
The tagline of the movie so aptly describes the whole plot of the TV series, THE MISSING: ‘In an instant you can lose everything.’
The hard-hitting BBC drama starring James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor has kept viewers captivated over the last eight weeks and now the heart-renching drama has arrived on DVD and Blu-ray.
The series tells the story of Tony and Emily Hughes (played by Nesbitt and O’Connor respectively) who travel to France with their five-year-old son Oliver (Oliver Hunt), for a family holiday, which quickly turns into their worst nightmare when five-year-old Oliver suddenly disappears whilst his father is watching the football in a heavy crowd at the local pub. Of course, the frantic father loses patience with the police and their lack of motivation to search for Oliver, so Tony takes matters into his own hands and begins to form a private investigation; the start of a difficult and emotional journey spanning eight years and to continents.
THE MISSING does not hold back from the onset, getting off to a dramatic, emotionally overwhelming start where we see little Olly Hughes disappear within minutes of the very first episode. From that point onwards, it was clear to see that the BBC drama would be outstanding, as the twists and complexities of its gripping plot kept the audience guessing right through to the penultimate episode.
Hope surges in each episode, as we watch Olly’s father torment himself time and again through the series whenever a new shred of evidence comes to light despite the advice and support of French detective, Julien Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo) who has stuck with him witnessing the desperate father slowly lose everything: his son, his wife, his home, his money, his sanity and inevitably, a normal life.
Racked with guilt, the series so effectively explores the emotional cost of a child’s abduction, with Tony’s quest to find his son in one of the most baffling ‘whodunits’ of the year. It is easy to sustain attention and patience with the series until the rather controversial ending, which revealed a solution that no one could have foreseen — and a twist in the final seconds that chilled our hearts.
The drama was all too realistic and made all the more believable by the terrific casting of the production. James Nesbitt shines throughout the eight episodes. Tony Hughes is a complex character; he often reacts to situations too quickly, he’s impulsive, full of rage (quite understandably after seeing what his investigation uncovers) and in his search, he is taken to truly dark places out of pure desperation and anger. Within all of these different emotions, Nesbitt is convincing in his performance and evokes sympathy for his character even during the darkest moments of trying to find his son. There certainly could be an award or two coming his way after this series…
Frances O’Connor is equally brilliant as Tony’s wife and Tchéky Karyo holds attention well as the calm detective, trying his best to help Tony despite the turmoil in his own private life.
The intriguing narrative and clever casting choices are the biggest successes under Tom Shankland‘s excellent direction and although the plot is dark and hauntingly difficult to watch at times, nonetheless, it is easily one of the best crime dramas of the year. It is a captivating thriller, which echoes the horror of abduction and is definitely a series which keeps you hooked until the final credits.
Verdict
THE MISSING is available to buy now on DVD and Blu-ray.
