Gone

The cops and nearly everyone else had written off Jill (Amanda Seyfried) as a hallucinating, mentally unstable young woman. After all, she claimed to be kidnapped by an unknown man and placed in a deep hole somewhere in the forest. After the police found no forced entry or even a suspect, they had Jill involuntarily committed to a mental hospital.

Despite the ridicule, Jill remains adamant about her abduction and conducts her own investigation through forest searches and cataloging all reported missing females as potential victims of her abductor.

When returning home from work, Jill finds her sister gone. She immediately suspects that her kidnapper has returned to seek vengeance. After rushing to the police, they brush aside Jill’s concerns, as always. Believing her sister to be in grave danger, Jill begins her own desperate search.

I’m a big fan of thrillers, but this one didn’t really hold much suspense. At times, I found it rather boring and, at times, far-fetched. Essentially, Jill goes on an easy scavenger hunt that any rookie cop should have figured out. Ignorantly, however, the cops never question the witnesses Jill herself interrogates. They simply pass her off as some nutcase, since they weren’t able to find evidence within the vast expanse of the forest to verify her account.

With that said, I did find some enjoyment in the film. Jill is determined to find her sister, even though all the odds are against her. She isn’t a weepy heroine and goes straight into the mouth of danger, never once questioning her own safety. She sticks to her version of the truth, even when people pass her off as crazy. This is a nice change from the common female caricatures in recent suspense thrillers.

This reminded me of what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:15. God gave us the truth within His word; it’s the truth, and it’s the Christian’s job to be diligent and present the holy truth always, regardless of whether or not people laugh, mock, or outright deny our claims about Jesus being the Son of God. The verse reads:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Objectionable Content

The foul language is around the 17 mark: 6 sh_t, 4 b_tch, 2 as_, 2 hells, 1 d_mn, 1 GD and 1 f_ck. There’s a brief conversation about “banging” one’s sister.

Jill is a compulsive liar. She makes up different stories with each person she encounters along the search for her sister.

When wanting answers, Jill does threaten some people with a gun. She shoots one man several times and later pours kerosene on him. Afterward, she throws a lantern on him, causing him to be engulfed in flames. In the beginning of the movie, Jill takes a self-defense class. A comment from her opponent makes her snap, and she repeatedly punches him. During a flashback, Jill snaps a bone from a decomposed body, and stabs someone. This is done in the dark, and not much is seen. A decomposed body is shown in a sitting position.

There is a limited amount of sexual content in the film. While Jill is taking a shower, one can see her nude form through the translucent shower curtain. Believing she tracked down her sister’s kidnapper, Jill barges in the suspect’s room and finds another man lying in bed.

I don’t personally recommend the film. Though I found the film a bit lacking, it does have a decent pace and ends just shy of the eighty-seven minute mark. If you decide to see it, I suggest waiting for it to be released in DVD.

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Mild

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

• Positive
• Negative
• Young people