My Son  ★★½

IRISH missing child drama My Son also misses the mark in several ways.

James McAvoy delivers his typical edgy performance and writer/director Christian Carion builds significant tension during the first half of the film.

But the final act is marred by questionable character motivations and actions that take the viewer’s attention away from the drama and the climax proves unsatisfying as a result.

Carion also wrote and directed the 2017 French film upon which My Son is based. Not having seen the original I can’t comment on whether changes have been made to the script.

We meet McAvoy’s character, Edmond Murray, arriving at a lake-side children’s holiday camping ground in rural Scotland.

His young son Ethan has disappeared during the night and, while a search of the area is underway, police are also not discounting abduction.

Along with his ex-wife Joan (Claire Foy) they join the search but, following an interview with police, Edmond gets more agitated with the situation.

He works internationally for long periods with an oil and gas company and rarely sees his son. Along with that guilt, Edmond is also annoyed by the fact Joan has a new partner.

If this seems like Edmond is front and centre and Joan is relegated that’s exactly right and mostly a waste of Foy’s talents.

Events are meant to put us in Edmond’s increasingly desperate position, but the manner in which they play out doesn’t ring true.

In summary, too many plot holes.