Megan is Missing: TikTok users left ‘traumatised’ after watching controversial 2011 horror film for the first time

Film was banned in New Zealand for ‘objectionable’ content

A controversial 2011 horror film has regained popularity after TikTok users branded it “traumatising”.

Written and directed by Michael Goi, Megan is Missing is a found-footage psychological horror film centred around two 14-year-old high school students, Megan (Rachel Quinn) and Amy (Amber Perkins).

The film takes place in the days leading up to Megan’s disappearance after she goes to meet up with a boy she met online.

Although it was filmed in 2006, the film didn’t find distribution until 2011 and was banned in New Zealand for its “objectionable” content, with the country’s classification office writing that “the availability of the publication is likely to be injurious to the public good”.

At the time, Megan is Missing was criticised for poor acting, its use of graphic and sexual violence and the oversexualisation of the young protagonists, with many branding the film to be “torture porn”.

The film found itself back in the public consciousness over the weekend (14-15 November) after a number of TikTok users watched it for the first time.

“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,” one viewer wrote.

Others warned their fellow social media users not to watch the film, with one viewer tweeting: “I just watched it and I have never been more triggered or traumatised by something in my entire life. This world is so f***ing disgusting, I cant stop crying and I feel sick to my stomach. If you haven’t watched it yet, please don’t. It’s horrifying.”

“Megan is Missing is trending for some reason and lemme tell you, do NOT watch it without reading the Wikipedia first, if you’re even a little bit interested,” another commented. “Absolutely horrible and repugnant movie. Wouldn’t recommend ever.”

In response to the film’s popularity resurgence on TikTok, creator Goi – who has since written for American Horror Story and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – issued a warning to people interested in watching it for the first time.

“I didn’t get to give you the customary warnings that I used to give people before they watched Megan Is Missing, which are: do not watch the movie in the middle of the night, do not watch the movie alone, and if you see the words 'photo number one' pop up on your screen, you have about four seconds to shut off the movie if you’re already kind of freaking out before you start seeing things that maybe you don’t want to see,” he said.

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♬ original sound - Michael Goi