Samuel Jones is a man living in New Mexico in the 1880s. He had abandoned his family years before to travel with a band of Apaches, but his conscience has finally gotten the better of him and he's decided to return home. Jones, however, does not receive a warm welcome upon arrival – his daughter Maggie has no desire to see her father. As Jones prepares to depart on a note of bitterness, a band of ruthless bandits, murder Maggie's husband and kidnap his 15- year-old granddaughter. While Maggie feels no desire to forgive her father, she teams up Jones to find the bandits before they can disappear into Mexico.

"The Missing is a classically styled oater that succeeds on nearly all levels. Comparisons between The Missing and The Searchers are obvious, given that both films are essentially extended chases during which the protagonists' true characters emerge. The Missing also features outstanding performances from its leads."
Lewis Beale, Film Journal