The Vanished

I'm still not sure if I actually liked this movie or not.....there was so much going on, odd subplots, and unresolved non-issues that made it all confusing. For starters, it was at least 45 minutes too long, several times I thought it was gonna wrap up, then off they went again in a new direction. A lot of character behavior that didn't seem terribly believable; I found myself laughing at parts that weren't supposed to be funny. And they made darn sure you knew that EVERY minor character could be the "bad guy" by giving them all exaggerated creepy habits, tics, and secrets that were quite over the top.

It was plenty suspenseful in many places but at times again ventured into is-that-supposed-to-be-funny....?

I give it a resounding "meh".

I'm always a little wary of other people's reviews, as many of our younger generation prefers constant action, entertainment and stimulation. So if that's what you're looking for, then this isn't the film for you. Although there are many "jump scare" sequences, the film moves along at an occasionally slow-to-moderate speed, and yet it's entirely gripping.

Anne Heche does a fabulous job, and her performance as the overwrought mother looking for her lost child was entirely convincing. One of my favorite elements was the fact that the film keeps you guessing until the end, and suspecting everyone in its path as the abductor. And by the way, for anyone who claims to have "predicted" the ending after only 10 minutes into the film, they're full of sh$t. This movie was well-written and formulated to keep you guessing. Overall, it was an impressive feat for Peter Facinelli.

It was not too bad and certainly held my attention as it tries to solve a missing daughter story. I was hoping it might be like Taken but it's mostly a psychological drama similar to Prisoners but not nearly as good. But still it was tense suspenseful watch with twists and turns. But the unreliable narrator storytelling has been done before but still never gets old.

You will wonder what level of hell you've wandered into when you first start watching this. The acting is dire. The editing is terrible. There are so many utterly baffling decisions made that you will find it very hard to sympathise with anyone at all. But, hang on...the last 10 minutes suddenly makes it all (almost) worth it, and with the benefit of hindsight you'll find yourself going...ohhhh...NOW I see... 6 stars because it's actually not awful and the ending is actually quite surprising and a little heartbreaking.

This is a very strange story, with plenty of suspense and an element of horror.

The Anne Heche character is very unlikable and isn't easy to watch by times, but in the end I realized she was the right person for the role.

The story is well-written and keeps you guessing until the end.