Riveting ride worthy of predecessor

in Grace and June’s life – are worthy of our attention when it comes to solving the core mystery.

People’s potential guilt seesaw throughout and the decision to have a teenager trying to find an adult gives the story a fresh approach.

Reid (The Invisible Man) is vulnerable, intuitive and relentless as she has to grow up really fast, Long is a loving mum with an air of uncertainty surrounding her, Leung gives off the right amount of possibly too-good-tobe-true scepticism and Joaquim de Almeida’s Javi is amiable and helpful in a rare non-bad guy role for the 24 and Fast & Furious star.

Johnson and Merrick find a way to film action and chase scenes flitting between security cameras during a nerve-racking finale.

Some of the twists and turns are a bit much, though, as they enter soap opera territory and, sadly, I saw a key rug pull coming long before hands were put on the carpet.

But, overall, Missing is a riveting ride crammed with pitch-perfect performances worthy of comparison with its predecessor.

●Did you watch Searching? If so, how does Missing compare? Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.

Amy Delaney said: “The new Gossip Girl on BBC1 is really good and follows on well from the original show.”

Jack O’connell (Skins) makes for a magnetic presence in this British prison flick.

Directed by David Mackenzie (Young Adam), powerful drama Starred Up is given an air of authenticity as it was written by former prison psychotherapist Jonathan Asser.

Right from the moment he’s thrown inside, O’connell (Eric) immerses himself in a star-making role, but it’s far from a one-man show, with Animal Kingdom’s Ben Mendelsohn a shining light as Eric’s dad Neville, in an often brutal and always gripping tale.