#MissingCouple (2024) review – A van-life mystery worth watching

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are checking out found footage “influencer” themed horror movie #MissingCouple from 2024.

A pair of real van-lifers

#MissingCouple is keying in on that all too common influencer format in horror but, this time, it comes from a real place. The stars here are actual IRL van-lifers. Is that the correct term, “Van-lifers”? I am not sure. Either way, the stars of #MissingCouple (Austin and Janna Jenkins) actually lived in their converted Sprinter van. They have a YouTube page, a website, and are pretty active on places like Instagram and TikTok.

“#MissingCouple is keying in on that all too common influencer format in horror but, this time, it comes from a real place. The stars here are actual IRL van-lifers.”

As you can probably guess, our influencers have gone missing after moving into a remote cabin in the woods. Their recovered footage is presented in retrospect by a friend who is searching for them. This creates a pretty interesting blur between reality and fiction.

I believe the pair actually really leaned into the viral marketing of the film and some people bought into the story hook, line, and sinker.

The comments on the trailer for #MissingCouple are pretty hilarious. It’s funny how people are fooled by these types of films and then get angry when the young couple isn’t actually missing and presumed dead. Viral marketing for a horror film is walking a fine line between captivating an audience and having to actually vanish for real so people don’t get angry that you tricked them.

It’s pretty effective for what it is

I enjoy these DIY found footage movies, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. They are usually pretty awful but I have a soft spot for them as you can see in my reviews of Life of Belle (2024) and Lexi (2022). #MissingCouple isn’t awful. In fact, it is actually pretty effective. The story plays out in a non-linear fashion which is fairly typical for found footage.

“I didn’t find the couple to be particularly annoying which is a nice change for these types of films and the dog was adorable… Always a bonus.”

We see a few videos made by the influencers for social media before we are introduced to our third character. He is looking for the now missing couple and claims to be a friend. We are then presented with his ongoing search into their disappearance. This is interspersed by more footage of the pair as recovered by the dude searching for them.

It’s standard fare for this type of film but it works well. The location is great, the couple have chemistry and are believable, and there is enough going on to keep things interesting. I wouldn’t say that #MissingCouple is scary or even unnerving but there were enough plot twists and turns to keep me interested.

Background watching is rewarded on a few occasions with some well placed scares. There isn’t an overabundance of silliness and jump scares, and there is a decent amount of atmosphere and tension. I didn’t find the couple to be particularly annoying which is a nice change for these types of films and the dog was adorable… Always a bonus. For, I am assuming, first time horror movie makers they showed a lot of restraint which I applaud.

Suffers from the usual influencer horror problems

The parts of this movie that people are, probably, going to dislike are the same things that always plague influencer themed horror. The random TikTok style videos are pretty annoying and will put some viewers off. Many of the segments are presented as social media videos rather than traditional recovered footage which, again, will be divisive.

#MissingCouple also feels a little chaotic, at times. The story goes off in a few different directions and explores several different avenues that really don’t go anywhere. When taking them in context with the ending, they make sense.

“I don’t think the ending is well constructed enough for this to become clear to a lot of viewers. I am assuming I understood the ending correctly but a lot of people are going to be confused.”

With that being said, I don’t think the ending is well constructed enough for this to become clear to a lot of viewers. I am assuming I understood the ending correctly but a lot of people are going to be confused.

There’s a lot of little events that take place that are going to feel like plot holes to many. The story could have really done with some editing to tighten things up a bit and clarify a few points. There are question marks that are going to leave people feeling a bit confused and, ultimately, unsatisfied. The pacing is very slow, as well, and there aren’t a whole bunch of “key” moments to keep fans with limited attention engaged.

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Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.