The Missing is a western set in 19th century New Mexico, starring the awesome Cate Blanchett as Maggie Gilkeson, a strong, independent, frontier doctor. Her daughter, Lily (Wood), is kidnapped by an evil Apache shaman and his money-grubbing henchmen to be sold as a slave to rich Mexicans. So that he can help her track the slave traders, Maggie must swallow her pride and burning hatred of her father, Samuel (Jones). He had abandoned her as a child to become an honorary Indian, but his life with the Indians has given him an understanding of Indian magic and practices, which proves to be an aid in their quest. What follows is a race against time to stop the villains before the border and meanwhile, hopefully, some family rifts can be healed as well.

Eric Schweig as the Indian shaman was particularly interesting in his role. His evilness oozes off the screen as the audience comes to despise this character that utilises a variety of venoms to hurt his enemies. Also of interest was the father-daughter relationship between Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones. These two talented actors give a depth of performance that raises this movie above that of standard good vs. evil Hollywood flicks