Netflix’s latest true-crime docuseries, Amy Bradley is Missing, premiered on July 16, 2025, and is already causing a stir online. A treasure trove for true crime lovers, the series dives deep into one of the most baffling cases in maritime history: the mysterious disappearance of 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley, who vanished from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, en route to Curacao. With the docuseries, the haunting case from 27 years ago has once again revived itself, raising chilling new possibilities (and possibly, even hope).

As Amy Bradley is Missing explores the family’s relentless search, there remains a disturbing possibility that Amy may still be alive, and trapped somewhere. Creators Ari Mark and Phil Lott reveal the reason they think they are closer to the truth than ever!

Amy Bradley is Missing creators reveal why they decided to revisit the case

The case of Amy Bradley’s missing dates back to 1998, when the 23-year-old vanished without a trace in the middle of the sea while vacationing with her family on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas. There was no explanation of how a whole person could just vanish mid-cruise. Amy’s disappearance sparked global headlines and years of speculation, but she was never found.

Now, 27 years later, Netflix’s three-part docuseries, Amy Bradley is Missing, reopens the case with more possibilities and disturbing revelations that are sure to tingle your spine. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, filmmakers Ari Mark and Phil Lott shared why they reopened the case, spotlighting overlooked leads and retracing the family’s desperate search. Phil Lott said:

This is a case that has existed in the true-crime-o-sphere, but it also exists in the fear of every parent… the horror of waking up and finding that one of you is missing, and for good or for bad, no one seems to be listening — or at least not enough for a parent who’s just lost their child… Every single day they wake up and it’s as real as it was yesterday.

The docuseries ignites a hope that feels real

Ari Mark admits that he hadn’t expected to be so emotionally drawn to the case until he interacted with Amy’s family, investigators, and eyewitnesses, who are still hopeful that Amy might still be alive. After getting their testimonies and seeing their persistence, the filmmaker has now gotten personally invested in the case.

Now, with the Netflix documentary, Mark really hopes that someone out there can find a missing link and retrace the steps. He believes that with the show, they might find the missing Amy, if she’s still alive. Sharing how Amy’s mother, Iva Bradley, has put all her hopes in the docuseries, Mark said:

“When we first came into this story, and when I was first introduced to the key players, everyone from the FBI, family members, friends, experts, what have you, eyewitnesses — they all convinced me that we’re gonna find her… I mean, I got convinced because the credibility element was there… we really thought we could find her. I had [Amy’s mom] Iva Bradley calling me every day, saying, ‘All of our eggs are in your basket’… having this be on a platform like Netflix brings them one step closer. And I really believe it will. ”

Popular theories regarding Amy Bradley’s mysterious vanishing

Throughout the years, several theories have come up regarding Amy’s disappearance, some of them particularly disturbing. Mark and Lott dismiss the popular narrative that Amy simply fell overboard. After a thorough study of all the information that they came across, the creators argue that some available clues, including one photo in a trafficking ad that holds striking similarities with Amy, suggest a far more sinister possibility.

Both Mark and Lott claim that viewers of this chilling three-part documentary will feel encouraged to reconsider the simplest explanation as they gradually unpack the heartrending details from Amy Bradley’s missing case. Lott explained:

“The easiest thing in the world is to come up to us going, ‘Clearly, she fell off the boat.’ … As you go down the path… You start answering the first five questions, they all lead to much bigger pieces of mystery… It’s something that just gets bigger and deeper and more compelling.”

For the creators and Amy’s grieving family, Amy Bradley is Missing is more than just solving a case gone cold over time, but rather a deeply emotional story of a young woman who disappeared without a trace and a family that never gave up on her. And Mark says, “I’ve kind of gotten to the point where I have to believe she’s alive.”

Even 27 years later, the search for Amy Bradley is far from over. Have you watched the docuseries yet?

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