Movie Review: ‘Come and Find Me’ Delivers Suspense but Not Enough Purpose

Come and Find Me begins rather cryptically as Aaron Paul appears to be blatantly following Annabelle Wallis right back to her apartment and into her home. As it turns out, David and Claire are only playing along and the joke is on us as they reveal their idyllic relationship to each other. However, the metaphor is definitely there.  Paul has no idea who he has taken up in Zack Whedon’s suspense thriller Come and Find Me.

Nonetheless, all is well for a couple that seems completely in sync (and any Jessie Pinkman residue easily slides away for those worried that Breaking Bad would keep him typecast).  But the tranquility changes as Claire suddenly disappears without a trace. At a loss, David despairs the local detective’s assurances that they will do everything to locate her.

The film then takes an interesting approach to the use of time.  One moment he’s trying to make sense of the mystery, and the next his landlord appears at his door to expedite his exit from the apartment.  A year gone by, there’s no film technique to show the passage of time. The abrupt request without fanfare leaves you feeling the magnitude of such a profound occurrence.

The same goes for the many flashbacks utilized to fill in the blanks of their relationship.  There’s no cue to let you know a flashback is about to occur.  So the film constantly suspends you between the normalcy of their life, and the potential reality of Claire’s alter ego.

The first clue comes as David finds their mutual friend (Chris Chalk) frantically searching through Claire’s possessions.  David now goes from perplexed and grieving partner of the missing to amateur private eye on a mission.

As such, Claire’s photography stash of mysterious figures and locations sends him off. He runs afoul of Eastern European gangsters, an unsavory CEO suitable for blackmail and a cabal of government agents.

So maybe she’s an unintentional witness to a crime, holds crucial information on the CEO or actually runs with the national security establishment.  Dead or alive, fully engaged or not, the flashbacks do point to a deeper involvement nonetheless.

Of course, they all mean business.  This does not deter David, though. His investigative skills are pretty good and so is his ability to shake off the detractors who are urging him to let it rest.

But despite his maneuverability, David finds he’s is in over his head and Come and Find Me doesn’t necessarily apply just to Claire.  This has the circumstances of Clair’s disappearance revealed and David in disbelief.

Despite the disclosure, you’re left wanting more.   There’s too big a gap among the cross section of characters and their motives to justify the overall drama, even with the suspenseful delivery of the film and excellent performance by the players.