The overall quality level of "Vermist" probably never at one point surpasses the quality level of any random episode in any of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation franchises, but hey, it's a Belgian cinema blockbuster with a solid cast and a terrific director, so automatically I'm a little less harsh in my thoughts and in my review as well. And it honestly isn't a bad film at all, mind you, the story just doesn't contain any original ideas and you'll have to ignore a handful of obvious and truly massive holes in the plot. The title translates itself as "Missing" and that immediately gives you a pretty accurate description of the plot as well. The lead characters are all police inspectors working for the missing persons department, and they're investigating the alarming disappearance of a 16-year-old girl. The girl Evi comes from a respectable family, but she often revolted against her protective father and deliberately hung out with the wrong type of friends. The five-headed police force quickly discovers the girl was involved in prostitution, wild drug orgies and internet sex parties. The cops each have their own specialties, for example the male cop Nick Bulens is straightforward and physically menaces the suspects, and the young girl Milly is the forensics expert hesitant to exchange the lab for field duties. Some of the characters are poorly introduced and remain in the background, but that doesn't form a real problem, as "Vermist" actually is some sort of pilot episode for a TV-series with the same cast. The story can hardly be called original or overly spectacular, the plot-twists are incredibly implausible and the climax is comes too abrupt and is too silly. Yet, despite several shortcomings, "Vermist" is a reasonably suspenseful thriller with some powerful sequences and a compelling atmosphere throughout. Jan Verheyen's direction is very spirited and energetic. He's probably the only filmmaker in Belgium who's passionate enough about the darker genres in cinema to make a Belgian thriller. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't even see horror or cult movies on TV. He hosts a (terrific) show, called Cult Night, every Friday evening that brings lesser known and overlooked horror gems under the attention of fans.
