People really like found footage movies these days, huh? I don't get the fascination, to be honest. Never have. Although there's something to be said for the never ending popularity of The Blair Witch Project, which originally made Horror fans fall in love with the sub genre. I didn't like The Blair Witch Project, and not one Found Footage films after that even so much as piqued my interest. That is, until 2011. That year, a movie called Megan Is Missing was released. Not only did this film make me rethink my opinions on Found Footage, but helped restore some long, lost faith in the Horror genre. For someone who has been an adult for quite some time, it's rare that I find a film which genuinely scares me. Even after several viewings, this one still gives me chills.

Megan is Missing feels like two movies. The first is a mean spirited but pointless, teen Drama, almost reminiscent of Harmony Korine. Later on, the second one blindsides us with a devastating and heartbreaking turn of events. This sneaky approach proves to be a successful one, as you just wouldn't expect things to go from borderline-boring to ... THAT!

Megan Stewart is a drugged-out, 14 year old little slut who parties way too much. Megan is super popular, but clearly for the wrong reasons. Megan feels like she has already grown up far too fast, but the truth is, she merely started doing drugs and having sex at a ridiculously young age. Not the same thing. Guys use Megan, And she uses them back. To her, these things are normal, or at least not a problem. Megan's problems are solely due to a dysfuctional home life, which includes a raging, bitch mother with molesting boyfriends. Screwing her up even further. Megan's only saving grace is her best friend, seemingly her only real friend, Amy Herman.

Amy is a year younger, and seems immature for her age, but in reality, she's just a normal, insecure 13 year old. Despite Megan's many faults, which also includes being dragged down by the peer pressuring popular crowd, she is a true friend to Amy, and is always trying to help her come out of her shell, while always on the verge of becoming a destructive influence. As wrapped up as Megan is in her drug/sex-filled life, and douche bag friends, it seems as though Megan envys Amy in all her unpopularity and awkwardness. One could say Megan Lives vicariously through her innocence.

Megan recently met a guy online. A guy whose face she has yet to see, who claims to be only slightly older, while offering no proof. Not that most 14 year olds would even think to ask if they're already getting attention from an older guy. Amy seems to be the only one who knows of this inevitable hook up, but is of course also far too naive to think anything of this. And one day, Megan vanished. As this abduction gets lots of media attention, A huge void is felt within her high school, but with no one more than Amy, who has now been revealed as the main character. Amy, who now feels more vulnerable than she ever has in her life, quickly turns to Megan's online beau, and soon makes the choice we all saw coming, of telling no one of this faceless stranger. Soon, Amy vanishes, too. We have a pretty good idea of what's going on, here. While we never learn much about what happened to Megan, we do witness Amy's fate in graphic, sickening detail.

This story is revealed to us through webcam footage, home videos, and news updates. Suddenly, this dumb, teen drama turned into a nightmarish lesson in not trusting strangers, which, if you ask me, should be required viewing for all teenage girls in school, these days. They need to see this. They need to see the worst case scenario with their own eyes. And any skeptical Horror fans, who haven't seen this yet, should rejoice, as the genre is clearly alive and well in the 2010s. Megan Is Missing proves that! 7/10