MEADOWLAND, a somber 2015 drama, was the directing debut of Reed Morano, who also served as the cinematographer, a skill she had honed in a dozen films, including The Skeleton Twins. This was the first of three in a row she directed that dealt with loss and trauma of one sort of another. The second, I Think We’re Alone Now, has Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning as survivors of a worldwide plague, then The Rhythm Section sees Blake Lively revenging the terrorist murder of her family. Meadowland confronts hurt on a less grandiose scale, one tragically more common and literally closer to home: the hope-erasing horror of child abduction.

A family road trip becomes a journey of pain with no end in sight. ‘Sarah’ (Olivia Wilde) and ‘Phil’ (Luke Wilson) stop at a roadside gas station. Their little boy uses the restroom. He never comes out: thru an adjoining door that leads outside he’s been abducted. As time grinds on, and searching yields no results, the strain on their spirits warps their behavior. Sarah, a schoolteacher, directs attention to a student affected by Asperger’s; he’s friendless, a foster child with foster parents who barely care. Phil, a New York City cop, attends grief counseling. Both temporary pathways only lead them further into behavioral spirals that may harm not only themselves but others.

Joining feature films like The Deep End Of The Ocean, The Lovely Bones and Gone Baby Gone and a slew of made-for-TV efforts, the basic setup is familiar, except in this instance resolution, like the psychic wound, is left open. Absent a pat, comfortable conclusion, it makes for a painful viewing experience, worthwhile for the superb performances and skillful direction, editing and camerawork. Wilde and Wilson telegraph deep distress thru the pain in their eyes and with minute flashes of facial expression and posture.

Adam Taylor contributes a sparse, effective score. With good work from John Leguizamo (a different sort of role for him),Ty Simpkins, Elisabeth Moss, Kevin Corrigan, Mark Feuerstein, Juno Temple, Merritt Weaver, and Kid Cudi. Limited release posted 339th at theatrical box office, before shuttling to streaming services. 105 minutes.