Last Seen is a classic, twisty thriller with a killer premise: a grieving father, whose young daughter went missing years ago and is now presumed dead, one day receives a phone call that he is convinced is from her. Hats off to director Christian Schwochow for delivering such a muscular, propulsive experience: I felt deeply invested from the start and by the third episode I was totally hooked. Getting between me and the screen would have been like trying to take a steak away from a dog.
Ian (Patrick Brammall, fresh from the very different Colin from Accounts) is a former cop who now works for Australia’s 000 emergency phone service (the equivalent of the US’s 911 or the UK’s 999). His daughter Maggie disappeared 11 years ago. Ian is now six months sober and separated from his ex-wife (Jessica Wren). He eats alone, at home, with an unopened vodka bottle on the table in front of him, as if to say to himself: “I could, but I won’t.” He blames himself for the past and cannot move on.
