#MISSINGCOUPLE (2024)

Streaming on Tubi!
Directed by Jacques Edeline, Oliver Maudlin.
Written by Jacques Edeline.
Check out the trailer here!!

An influencer couple, Austin and Jenna Jenkins (who play themselves) decide to renovate a secluded farm and document it on social media. But soon after they arrive, they begin experiencing strange phenomena. The motion sensors go off. They fear someone has been inside of their house when they are out. And the trail cameras they set up begin showing shadowy figures lurking on the grounds. Meanwhile, an online investigator (played by writer/co-director Jacques Edeline) attempts to track down Austin and Jenna when their social media posts suddenly stop. The film splits the timeline in two, documenting the couple and the investigator as they inch closer to the truth.

Are the actors successfully acting like they aren’t acting?
Everyone feels natural, which is something that is necessary for these found footagers. Remember, authenticity is a crucial part of making a good found footage film. If it feels like the actors are acting, then it really doesn’t work. Both Austin and Jenna feel authentic. They are both flawed in their own way with each not being completely honest with each other. Austin feels aloof at times, not believing in what Jenna is doing or trying to protect her by leaving out dangerous goings on at the farm. But they never feel like actors. The nameless online investigator played by Jacques Edeline is creepy as all get out. He’s got this blank stare and this bizarre dedication to solving this case that feels unhealthy. This turns out to be part of the story and Edeline does a great job playing this complex character and juggling writing and directing duties.

Does the footage found seem authentic and untouched by additional production?
For the most part, yes. For the sake of unfolding the mystery of the missing couple, the story shifts from the couple’s footage, which the online investigator is watching to what is actually happening to the online investigator and what’s going on with him. It’s a clever way to tell a story, but kind of cheats by shifting from one set of footage to a second set. I’ll give it a pass, because I really dug the way information is released here. Still, the editing between scenes was occasionally confusing since both parties use multiple formats for recording. There are a few scenes during the tense moments where music was added which ripped me right from the story. Nothing like a keyboardist banging away on a synth to kill the authenticity. The sad thing is, the scenes were tense enough that they didn’t need the extra oomph of added music. It’s a shame. There are produced TikTok and Instagram videos set to music, which felt much more natural.

Why don’t they just drop the camera and get the hell out of there?
Being online influencers, Austin and Jenna film everything. I’ve come to simply buy this as a reason the camera isn’t dropped. When the weird stuff happens, Jenna wants to share with her viewers as a means to understand it all. The online investigator, on the other hand, is building his entire show on finding this couple, so he wants to keep filming no matter what, which is a good enough excuse for me.

Is there an up-nose BLAIR WITCH confessional or a REC-drag away from the camera?
Not so much. There are a few confessionals, but they are done in order to provide new information to the story, not as some cliched aping of BLAIR WITCH. And while the camera is dropped a time or two, the film manages to be original in the way the one filming disappears into the darkness.

Does anything actually happen? Is the lead in too long and the payoff too short?
Now, I don’t want to say this was a thrill a minute, but the way this film was edited between the two timelines, the story really moves along at a good clip. Early on, there is a mention that something was in the background of some of the footage shot by Austin and Jenna, and it made me scour the background while watching to see if there are other instances of this. It was kind of fun for a while, but I soon felt this was distracting me from the story. I didn’t see any more instances. Maybe the shadow people were there, but I didn’t see them. There are a few instances where Austin and Jenna are reacting to something on the screen seen from one of the outside cameras. The scene then cuts to the camera and you really can’t see anything but darkness, but apparently something was there, due to the reactions by Austin and Jenna. Yes, this is another slow build film with the bulk of the action happening in the final moments, but #MISSINGCOUPLE manages to pepper in interesting moments all the way through to keep your attention.

Does the film add anything to the subgenre and is it worth watching?
I actually liked this one quite a bit. This is an extremely low budget film, but it sets the mood very well. I liked the mystery aspect of this one and the way little bits of information about the couple and the online investigator are revealed along the way, giving light to a pretty fascinating and original story. The shadow people were creepy, though they seem to be pretty rudimentary CG effects. It’s definitely a slow builder, but if you don’t mind watching influencers doing what influencers do while an intriguing mystery unfolds around them, # MISSINGCOUPLE is worth checking out.