‘Megan Is Missing’: Is the Movie Based on a True Story?

Megan Is Missing is a 2011 controversial horror film that has been the subject of many conversations since its release and most recently this weekend on social media as people began watching it and sharing their reactions to the film. The movie, which was filmed in the “found footage style,” follows Megan Stewart, a popular high school student, in the days leading up to her disappearance. When she goes missing after going to see a boy she met online, her best friend decides to start an investigation.

While the movie appears realistic and was based on various real-life disappearances and abductions, it is a fictional film and it is not based on one specific case. Megan Stewart’s character is played by actress Rachel Quinn and her best friend Amy’s character is played by Amber Perkins, according to IMDB. The film’s director, Michael Goi, based the film on seven true child abduction cases and the movie was endorsed by the KlaasKids Foundation, a U.S. child safety advocacy group, according to a screening poster.

The movie is not available on Netflix or Amazon Prime but it can be rented on YouTube, iTunes and Google Play, according to Decider.

The Film Is Extremely Controversial & Was Banned in New Zealand for Being ‘Objectionable’

According to a screening poster for the film at USC, Megan Is Missing is described as follows:

[It] explores the varied and creative ways that kids use technology, the myth of invincibility, the deadly anonymity of the internet, the power of manipulation and the horror of ordinary kids walking in the midst of extraordinary evil. It is an uncompromising view of the world children are in today, so harrowing in its realism, that it will truly make your blood run cold.

However, critics of the film have said that it is unnecessarily exploitative, too violent and it overly sexualizes young girls, according to Decider. New Zealand actually banned the film altogether when it was released, saying that it was “objectionable.” In its reasoning, the New Zealand Office of Film & Literature Classification wrote that it “depicts sexual violence and sexual conduct involving young people to such an extent and degree, and in such a manner, that the availability of the publication is likely to be injurious to the public good.”

Of particular concern to the film board was the graphic and violent ending of the movie, which includes realistic scenes of rape and torture.

Many Took to Twitter Over the Weekend to Discuss Whether the Film Is Based on a True Story & Share Their Reactions to Certain Graphic Scenes

The film began trending on social media this weekend as people shared their reactions to the movie and others discussed whether it was based on a true story. One person wrote, “megan is missing man,, that s*** got me staring at the wall and wanting to delete all my social media accounts and never come back ever again.”

Another said, “Just watched the movie Megan is missing…. I am not okay. THE PHOTOS… THE FOOTAGE… I-“

One person tweeted: “megan is missing has me looking up women safety kits on amazon.” One tweet reads: “just letting you guys know, megan is missing isnt real! its based off a few cases but it isnt real! its a “found footage” film, NOT real.” Another shared, “why am i just now finding out about Megan is Missing i literally never want to step foot outside a day in my life & all men are DISGUSTING.”

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