Those who live with the pain of a loved one’s disappearance often say it’s even more unbearable than death. It’s the not-knowing — the hope that refuses to die, trapping families and friends in a suspended state of suffering. Cases like Madeleine McCann, Etan Patz, and Priscila Belfort come to mind. It’s the same aching uncertainty portrayed so vividly in the drama Expats, starring Nicole Kidman.

Into this landscape, Netflix brings yet another haunting true story with the documentary Amy Bradley Is Missing, revisiting one of the most perplexing unsolved disappearances of the last few decades.

Amy Lynn Bradley was just 23 when she vanished mysteriously during a cruise in 1998. Her case still fuels documentaries, conspiracy theories, and investigations — because there is no definitive explanation, only unsettling traces that point toward something far more sinister than an accident. She was athletic, a recent college graduate, full of plans, sailing with her family aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. It was a celebratory trip before she started a new job. On March 24, as the ship was anchored near Curaçao, Amy was last seen around 5:30 a.m. sitting on the balcony of the cabin she shared with her brother. Minutes later, she was gone — without a trace.

From that moment on, the story spiraled into a maze of errors, omissions, and disturbing theories. The cruise company delayed taking action and even asked the family not to alert passengers — which slowed down the search and cost them precious hours. The easiest official explanation would be that she fell overboard. But Amy was a strong swimmer, the sea was calm, she showed no signs of emotional distress, and she left all her belongings behind — including her shoes and cigarettes — indicating she didn’t leave voluntarily. So where was her body? And why did so many people later claim to have seen her in bizarre circumstances, often in places associated with sex tourism in the Caribbean?

Just months later, a woman said she saw Amy in Curaçao, flanked by men who seemed to be controlling her. Years later, a former Navy officer claimed he encountered a desperate young woman who said her name was Amy, said she was being held against her will, and begged for help. Then, in 2005, the family received disturbing photos of a woman resembling Amy, posted on an adult website — bolstering a theory they had long feared: that Amy may have been abducted and trafficked into sexual exploitation.

What makes the case even more suspicious is that on the night before she vanished, Amy was seen hanging out with members of the ship’s band, and there were reports of crew members photographing her without consent. That, combined with the cruise line’s evasiveness, raised suspicions that she may have been the victim of a premeditated crime — possibly involving someone from the crew. The investigation was never conducted with the necessary rigor. The FBI and Interpol got involved, but no meaningful progress was made — leaving the strong impression that if something serious happened, there may have been a coordinated effort to cover it up.

The case of Amy Bradley continues to resonate because it contains all the hallmarks of a modern nightmare: a young, healthy woman vanishes in what should have been a safe, luxurious environment, and what’s left is silence, red flags, and clues pointing to something dark. Her family never gave up — appearing on TV, offering rewards, following every lead, even when they ended in heartbreak. Her name became a symbol for the many cases that vanish into the ocean of corporate indifference, where companies prioritize their image over human lives.

While the documentary is emotionally affecting — with interviews from family members, authorities, and people who claim to have seen her — it fails to offer new insights or firm conclusions. It preserves the family’s grief and the mystery, but it doesn’t move the case forward, which leaves viewers deeply frustrated.

In the end, this seems to be the most likely truth: Amy didn’t fall overboard, didn’t run away, and didn’t take her own life. She was most likely abducted, taken off the ship before anyone noticed, and forced into a sex trafficking ring — as the sightings, photos, and testimonies suggest. And no matter how much time passes, until solid evidence is found, the case of Amy Bradley will remain one of the most haunting and heartbreaking disappearances in recent memory.