6 Best Missing Persons Investigation Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 13, 2026

The search for someone who’s vanished without a trace is a mystery at its most gripping. Prisoners has a father taking matters into his own hands after two girls vanish, Gone Baby Gone has investigators uncovering corruption in a missing-girl case, and The Vanishing has a man obsessed with learning his girlfriend’s fate. Changeling, Frantic and Missing round out the six.

Prisoners (2013)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 81% Metacritic 70

A desperate father takes matters into his own hands after his daughter and her friend vanish.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve · 2h 33m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar10 wins & 38 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Changeling (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A mother's fight to prove that the boy police returned to her is not her missing son exposes police corruption.

Directed by Clint Eastwood · 2h 22m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Two private investigators searching for a missing girl uncover disturbing truths about her family.

Directed by Ben Affleck · 1h 53m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Vanishing (1993)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A man becomes obsessed with learning the fate of his girlfriend, who vanished at a highway rest stop.

Directed by George Sluizer · 1h 49m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Frantic (1988)

TMDB ★ 6.7

An American doctor searches the streets of Paris after his wife mysteriously vanishes from their hotel.

Directed by Roman Polanski · 2h 00m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Missing (1982)

TMDB ★ 7.3

An American father searches for his son, who disappeared during a violent coup in Chile.

Directed by Costa-Gavras · 2h 03m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Missing Persons Investigation Movies

Prisoners (2013)

Changeling (2008)

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

The Vanishing (1993)

Frantic (1988)

Missing (1982)

You might also like

6 Best Political Assassination and Conspiracy Movies

6 Best Cold Case and Unsolved Mystery Movies

6 Best Kidnapping and Ransom Movies

8 Best Movies of 2013

250 Best Movies of All Time

50 Best Mystery and Detective Movies of All Time