Directed by Alexander Irvine-Cox, the Netflix true crime series Missing: Dead or Alive follows the Missing Persons Unit of a police department as they search for those who have seemingly vanished without a trace.

Investigator Vicki Rains and her colleagues work to solve several missing person reports. A daughter that has been kidnapped, a wayward father, a vanished mother, and a foster child have all seemingly vanished without a trace. As the MPU searches for them, the emotional toll weighs on the law enforcement officials who desperately seek a resolution to the disappearances.

A lot of true crime documentaries follow the emotional effects that investigations can have on law enforcement, but this one does it well. I felt like it does a good job of connecting to their lives and humanizing the officers. There are bad cops out there, but seeing some good ones who just want to rescue a lost person was refreshing. We see their high lows, leads, and dead ends. It was a compelling documentary series in that regard.

While short, I did enjoy watching this TV series and was enthralled. The episode about the daughter who was kidnapped by her mother was the pilot and it pulled you in. You hear about how the mother tried to smear the Dad as he sought custody of the daughter. This show was unique in that instead of resolving the crime in each episode, with the exception of the finale, they get a “to be continued” which made you want to happen. It was a good move by Netflix and kept you invested in the very real stories being told.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street and Monique Olivier: Accessory to Evil. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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