Complete with an amazing cast, this psychological thriller will keep you guessing until the very end.
“An idyllic family vacation turns into a living nightmare for parents Paul (Thomas Jane) and Wendy (Anne Heche) when their young daughter disappears without a trace. When the local sheriff (Jason Patric) fails to chase down any new leads, the frantic parents have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. As tensions mount and the list of suspects grows, the search for the truth leads to a shocking revelation where nothing is what it seems in this gripping psychological thriller.”
The Vanished, from Saban Films, is yet another example of how impressive this small studio is and how it continues to grow, attracting all kinds of names to their projects that ultimately lead straight to on-demand. The films they produce can actually be quite good, despite the connotation that straight-to-video films aren’t as good as theatrical releases. It’s a strange time for films, that’s for sure, and in a time where these video on demand releases are all that’s available, studios like Saban are going to thrive.
I had mixed feelings about The Vanished. The production is excellent, the acting, casting, all great. Thomas Jane in my opinion is far undervalued and should be involved in much bigger and better things. However, if you believe that this film is going to be The Punisher going after whoever kidnapped his daughter, as I initially had hoped myself, you are going to be disappointed. Despite that letdown, he acts more like a true human being would, like a distraught father and husband trying to cope with the disappearance of his daughter, dealing with the wedge it builds between himself and his wife, along with the feeling of helplessness that he can’t be out there looking for her. Anne Heche also does a good job in this role, as a grieving mother, who faces all the same emotions as her husband, but reacts in much different ways than him. That’s one of the most fascinating parts of the story, is their reaction to the disappearance and how each cope with it. Jason Patric also delivers a very strong performance as the local sheriff who has lost a son as well to a drug overdose. Although not the same, that same feeling of helplessness is clear, as this case brings back all those feelings for him as he struggles to find any leads on the missing girl.
As far as the themes of the story go, there is a lot of emotion and heartache to go around, which I’m sure any parent can identify with. Instead of this being one of the only ways to propel the story, the writers find very unique ways to get the husband and wife duo to continue to tell an interesting story as we wait to find out the fate of their daughter. These situations they find themselves in keep escalating as tensions pile on in impossible ways. These are the best things about the film, so I can’t spoil anything, but needless to say it keeps you on your toes pretty early on.
One of the things I wasn’t so enthusiastic about was the obvious attempts to make every single person a suspect in the disappearance. People can’t just be normal, but have to have some dark secret, or even introduced in a creepy way that the audience would instantly judge them to be guilty. It’s an obvious ploy, and not a very good one at that. When you do find out the ending, I for one was extremely disappointed. It’s not something I saw coming, but I didn’t care much for how it played out. I’m sure it will be different for everyone, as reviews for the film can certainly attest to.
Video
As with most other Saban released films, this is only available on DVD, presented in Widescreen 16:9 in Standard Definition. However, the film does include a Digital Copy where you can watch the film in High Definition, which would be the preferable method of viewing this film, as the outdoor lake setting can be quite breathtaking at times.
Audio
The audio on this DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The track sounds good, no defects of note. Dialogue is clear and concise, with some good atmospheric effects of the woods coming through the surrounds. It has a haunting track, perfect in setting the somber tone of the film.
Special Features
No extras located on the disc.
The Vanished tells an intricate story, filled with twists and turns, surely to keep you on your toes. It may not be one of the most fulfilling psychological thrillers out there, but it does keep you entertained along the way. The actors definitely make the film, and with Saban Films able to attract that type of talent, I continue to look forward to their releases.
