Missing You

The latest in a long line of Harlen Coben adaptations from Netflix following Fool Me Once, Safe and The Stranger, Missing You gives regulars of these shows exactly what they’ve come to expect. It’s a dark, gritty, and easily digestible thriller that’s ideal for killing a few hours on a quiet afternoon, but not much else.

This time, the plot centres around DI Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), whose life was turned upside-down when her boyfriend, Josh (Ashley Walters), vanished without a trace 11 years ago. When she stumbles upon him on a dating app, unanswered questions from the past begin to bubble up once again. Adding to her trauma is that her father (Lenny Henry) was murdered, with the supposed killer (Marc Warren) claiming his innocence on his deathbed. On top of this, there’s also a key subplot about a man (Rudi Dharmalingam) who’s held captive by an equally menacing and mysterious figure played by Steve Pemberton alongside and a missing mother (Lisa Faulkner) who appears to be involved with Josh. While the gradual piecing together of these plot threads creates the foundation for another of Coben’s intriguing mysteries, the show’s slow pace and overloaded script stop this latest offering from becoming anything special.

One of this series’ downfalls is that it doesn’t know what it’s about during the opening episodes. The narrative switches gears between each of the various plotlines so often that it’s never clear where the focus is supposed to be. As torn apart as Kat is by the reappearance of her ex, the revelations about her father’s murder are just as big of a priority. This frequent back and forth not only makes for a more bloated and slower pace, but it likewise results in characters reminding audiences of key information through repetitive dialogue. While this makes it impossible to get lost, there are only so many times Kat can talk about how badly she was affected by Josh without inducing heavy eye-rolling.

The show’s main highlight is Pemberton’s performance. The League Of Gentlemen star is devilishly entertaining as a character who relishes in as being as cruel and darkly comedic as possible, including taking a puppy from children.

Missing You’s collection of plot threads is enticing enough to keep audiences watching, but its handholding script doesn’t result in anything worth remembering.

Andrew Murray

Missing You is released on Netflix on 1^st January 2025.

Watch the trailer for Missing You here: