Missing Link (film)

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Missing Link is a 1988 film written and directed by Carol and David Hughes. The movie is set in Africa roughly one million years ago, at a time when one species of "man-apes" (probably Australopithecus robustus) was being displaced by the ancestors of modern humans (Homo erectus). The film follows one of the last of the man-apes (Peter Elliott) as he wanders through the wilderness after his tribe is slaughtered by the modern humans, seeking food, shelter, and revenge upon the race that killed his family.

Missing Link is an unusual film in that it blends elements of drama, documentary, and avant-garde cinema. There is no dialogue, though there is narration (by Michael Gambon). There is also very little action. Instead, the film is filled with extended, picturesque sequences reminiscent of the style often used in nature documentaries. Perhaps due to its unconventionality, the movie was not a commercial success.