‘Do not watch the movie alone.’ Why everyone is talking about the horror movie, Megan is Missing.

This post deals with sexual abuse and might be triggering for some readers.

Just because apparently this year hasn’t been traumatising enough, a scary movie from 2011 called Megan Is Missing has resurfaced and, in short, it is f**king everyone up.

The film’s director himself has warned viewers to “not watch the movie alone” and the flick has now literally been banned in New Zealand due to its hideous content.

The NZ classification office said, "The feature 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".

Watch the trailer for Megan Is Missing right here. Post continues after video. 

So why the hell are people watching it? Well, because some people have rather questionable taste and also because it’s become a bit of a TikTok dare.

Yup, people are filming their reactions to the movie and sharing it on TikTok with the hashtag #meganismissing, drumming up major interest and encouraging others to do the same. 

The irony behind this will become oh-so apparent when you read about what the movie is actually about, which you can do right here. 

What is Megan Is Missing actually about?

Well, it’s a horror movie - so don’t be expecting joyous frolicks around flowery meadows. 

Instead, the film follows two teenage best mates, Megan Stewart and Amy Herman, and their life in North Hollywood. Things all seem fairly peachy until Megan begins talking to a boy online named ‘Josh’ and then meets up with him IRL. 

It’s after this meet up that Megan (you guessed it) goes missing. 

From this moment on, her friends go searching and SPOILER ALERT she has been abducted by ‘Josh’ (who is obviously not actually called Josh) and when Amy makes contact with ‘Josh’ to investigate, he comes for her too.

Listen to Mamamia's True Crime Conversations podcast here. Post continues after podcast.

The movie is made by Michael Goi, who has worked on American Horror Story and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, so he’s obviously no stranger to scaring folks - but in Megan Is Missing he uses the ‘found footage’ style for the entire flick.

This style gives us major Blair Witch Project vibes, but because the story is so ‘real’ and ‘normal’ (well, at least 2011 normal) it adds another chilling dimension that will literally haunt you for the rest of your days. 

Why is everyone so traumatised by Megan Is Missing?

Okay, so we’ve sort of hinted as to what happens in the plot of Megan Is Missing above, but once ‘Josh’ comes for Amy, things get seriously f**ked up. 

Like we don’t even want to write this part, but we kinda feel like we have to make sure you never, ever watch this movie.

Basically, images surface on porn sites of 14-year-old Megan trapped and bound in a cellar, literally cuffed to a torture table with metal spokes pulling her mouth open, so you know for sure that she is being abused by ‘Josh’ by the time that he comes for Amy.

In a video diary that Amy makes, where she’s talking about how she’s determined to find Megan and she can ‘feel’ that she’s still alive, you see a hand creep in from the side of the screen. Amy has now been abducted too. 

Then we’re taken to Amy’s torture cellar where she’s been stripped down to her underwear and has a chain around her neck. ‘Josh’ tells Amy that Megan is here too, but she can only see her when he decides. 

There are then are a number of extremely graphic scenes involving torture and abuse, which we won't detail here.

Image: Megan Is Missing. ‘Josh’ then talks to Amy in an eerily sweet voice, asking her if she’d like to go home. He tells her that he needs to put her in a barrel to be able to move her out of the basement in a way where she can’t see where he lives. 

Amy agrees and ‘Josh’ takes her to the barrel. When ‘Josh’ opens the lid of the barrel, Amy sees Megan’s corpse stuffed in there, with Megan’s eyes wide open and staring right at her. Amy screams in horror but before she can even do anything about it, ‘Josh’ stuffs her into the barrel and seals it shut.

He then takes her to the woods and digs a hole to bury Amy alive in. She is screaming the entire time, but ‘Josh’ callously tosses the barrel into the hole and covers it over with more dirt - burying Amy alive in a makeshift grave.

DO YOU SEE NOW WHY PEOPLE ARE TRAUMATISED? This movie so f**ked up. Honestly, we totally side with New Zealand on banning it. This s**t is hideous beyond belief.  

But now Megan Is Missing is making the rounds on TikTok, with users filming themselves reacting to the 2011 movie today. 

@bella.clare

please watch this film at your own risk. It is something i will never watch again . i am forever traumatized. #meganismissing #OnHold #BeKind #fyp

♬ original sound - AntiNightcore

@justatwink

the last 20 minutes should be illegal what the fuck.. #foryou #meganismissing #fyp #foryoupage

♬ original sound - Deep quotes✨

@gutituco

tik tok made me do it #meganismissing #documentary #caution if you must watch, know you’ve been warned.

♬ original sound - AntiNightcore

@h4ndfullofaids

im literally never leaving my house again. I’m not even done with the movie i still have like 15 mins left but i’m disgusted rn #meganismissing

♬ original sound - laura🏴‍☠️

@nah.tuh.l33

its the most disturbing thibg ive EVER watched, it felt very illegal to watch the end of it and my heart is broken #meganismissing

♬ Remember That Night? - Sara Kays

@stephpappas

Very disturbing to watch. #meganismissing #movie #scary

♬ original sound - laura🏴‍☠️

As you can see, people aren't exactly enjoying watching the movie. 

But before you feel tempted to join the hashtag and watch this godforsaken film, let's tackle a few important questions. 

Let’s clear something up: Is Megan Is Missing real footage?

Absolutely not. It is both written and directed by Michael Goi, stars legitimate actors and has a production company behind it. 

It is simply shot to look like it is made up of ‘found footage’. To prove our point here’s a behind-the-scenes shot of Michael working with Amber Perkins, the actor who plays Amy. 

Image: Michael Goi (www.meganismissing.com) 

So, we defs just clarified this but in case you’re still panicking, let’s answer this question too: Is Megan Is Missing true?

We’ve already established that the movie footage isn’t ‘real’, but is the storyline? 

No, it isn’t.

...but Michael Goi admits that inspiration for the film was plucked from seven actual real-life cases of child abduction. He pulled elements from each of the cases and wove them into Megan Is Missing to depict “the lives of ordinary kids walking in the midst of extraordinary evil”. 

Okay, now we need to talk about the Megan Is Missing ending.

Like most horror movies, you can feel the tension building from the first scene, however the truly cooked scenes all happen in the last 30 minutes of the Megan Is Missing. 

So, if you want to watch the film but also would like to, you know, sleep again, then just turn it off when there’s half an hour left to go. 

Please. 

If precisely none of this article has deterred you, then here’s where you can watch Megan Is Missing online.

Again, we really recommend not watching this movie. PLS. Particularly if you’re in New Zealand because it’s, you know, ILLEGAL.

But if you have to watch Megan Is Missing, then you can purchase a rental of the film from YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play Movies & TV. All three services offer a standard definition version for around $1.99.

RIP to your wellbeing if you proceed.

Feature Image: Megan Is Missing/Mamamia.